. Governor Nwaifuru
Ebonyi State government has increased the salary of civil servants in the State by ten thousand naira (N10,000) for each worker and approved waiver for employment of one thousand four hundred and fifty four (1454) personnel into the workforce.
The Executive Council Meeting of the State government took place yesterday at Exco chambers, New Government House, Abakaliki, the State capital.
Chairman of the Council, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru the Governor presided over the Meeting.
During a press briefing on the outcome of the EXCO meeting the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation , Engr. Jude Okpor explained that issue of workers’ salaries was deliberated on by Exco , “The Executive Council led by His Excellency the Chairman of Council approved that N10,000 be added to every worker’s salary in the state to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal. His Excellency also mandated SSG, Professor Grace Umezuruike to look into the finances of the state University (EBSU) to know what comes out and goes into the University to help determine the upwards review of subvention to the University”.
He said that the Council also approved the employment of 1454 Ebonyians into the State civil service to fill in vacancies created in the services over the years.
“Water problems in the state came up for deliberation. After the deliberation, a matching order was given to the Commissioner for Water Resources in the state by His Excellency the Governor to get water running in all the streets of Abakaliki before the next EXCO meeting, His Excellency was made to understand the hardship people in the state capital are facing over the problem of water and resolved that it must come to an end”.
“Housing and Urban Dev. Council received a progress report from the Commissioner for Housing and Urban Dev on the construction of low-cost housing units for Izzo and Amanze Communities in Ishielu LGA who lost their houses due to communal crisis and also for communities in Izzi and Abakaliki LGAs that lost their lands to the Government acquisition without compensation and resolved to execute it in phases beginning with the ones in Izzo and Amanze Communities. Council further directed the relevant ministry to liaise with the Public Procurement Council to commence the procurement process immediately”.
“Exco deliberated on crises in some parts of the state and set up a committee with a view to resolving them. The committee is to look into the Ezza Effium and Effium crisis in Ohaukwu local government area, Isinkwo/Abaomege crisis in Onicha local government area, Amana/ Ikwo in Ezza South and Ikwo Local Government Area among other areas in the state that has a crisis”.
The committee members were read before the council by the commissioner for Border Peace and Conflict Resolution, Dr. Donatus Ilang , “After listening to the Commissioner, His Excellency the Governor suggest that some of the proposed members could be burdened by conflict of interest as some are directly or remotely related to some of the parties involved in the crises. His Excellency, the Governor also suggested that only people of unquestionable character and proven integrity will be nominated into the committee. At the end of an exhaustive deliberation, the council approved the following as members of the committees”
“Council received a report on the status of the Waste Pulverization Plant at Umuoghara from the Commissioner for Environment and approved the expansion of the plant to accommodate a recycling plant to explore ways of benefitting from the waste-to-wealth potential of the recycling waste”, he stated.
He said that the Commissioner for Youth and Sports also brought a proposal for Ebonyi State School sports festival which includes the governor’s cup of which he State executive council approved it after deliberation.
‘The report on the evaluation of the operation of Ebonyi State Fertilizer and Chemical Company was presented to the council by the Commissioner for Agriculture. The Council after much deliberation directed the Commissioner to ensure the immediate commencement of Fertilizer production in the plant to meet the needs of Ebonyi farmers and beyond.
” Market development after deliberation on the report on the evaluation of the status of ongoing infrastructural projects at the international market, the council directed the Commissioner to undertake a comprehensive enumeration of the shops in the market. And also to look into how the buildings destroyed by wind recently could be rebuilt”.
The Commissioner noted that, “A memo on the establishment of the Public Eye Health Committee was presented to the council by the Honourable Commissioner for Health. Council considered the merits of the committee to the maintenance of sound Eye Health of Ebonyians and approved same”.
