Umahi
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State handed down the warning on Thursday while swearing-in four newly appointed special assistants at the Government House in Abakaliki.
The new aides include Mr.Ali Odefa, a former Senior special Assistant to the Governor on Security, who now becomes the SSA on Infrastructural Maintenance.
Ali had resigned his appointment as SSA on Security following his misunderstanding with the governor over the state’s candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party National Vice Cairman (South-East) position.
His insistence to contest as the post during the May 2016 PDP zonal congress in Enugu was considered as an open confrontation with Governor Umahi.
Many in government and political circles in the state were surprised that the governor could allow Odefa to return to his cabinet so soon.
The other aides are Dr. Ugballa Kenneth Igwe,senior special assistant on security; Mrs.Nwali Helen Chinyere,special assistant on Primary Education and Nnabife Abara, SA on Special Projects.
Umahi who lamented the deteriorating state of the nation’s economy, emphasised his administration’s resolve to diversify the state’s economy through agriculture and internally revenue generation(IGR) .
He charged the special Adviser on Primary Education, and the SSA on Higher Education, Dr. Adaeze Nwuzor, to ensure that every child in the school has a farm .
“Every child in primary and secondary school should have a farm. I am told that the teachers are shunning agriculture. Let me warn that I will sack any teacher that is not embracing agriculture,” said the governor.
Umahi also said that promotion of civil servants would no longer be based only on length of service but on merit,indicating how far the person has performed in the area of agriculture.
He told the newly appointees and other political office holders to realise that their appointments were not for political patronage,but to harvest more ideas on how to overcome the present economic challenges facing the state.
The governor charged the SSA on Security to ensure that cases of robbery,kidnapping and cultism were not recorded in the state.
He also directed Odefa and the SA on Special Projects, to ensure that the culture of maintenance and regular inspection of government facilities were enshrined.
