Hurricane Nwifuru

August 8, 2025 by Hardball

Governance in Ebonyi State must be on crutches about now, courtesy of a one-month suspension slammed by Governor Francis Nwifuru on 87 cabinet functionaries. Officials affected include 25 commissioners, 22 permanent secretaries, 14 senior special assistants and 24 special assistants.

The governor, on Monday, 28th July, imposed the sanction that will keep affected functionaries out of government operation for all of a month. A statement by Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Monday Uzor, said they were being suspended for failing to attend an important government function. Governor Nwifuru directed that the officials “proceed on a one-month working suspension without salary for failure to attend an important government function,” the statement read; adding that the governor made clear the affected officers should not sign any official document within the period of their suspension, with the commissioners expected to hand over to their permanent secretaries.

The statement listed the functionaries affected. According to the spokesman, the governor remained firm in ensuring government officials uphold the highest standards of conduct and dedication in serving Ebonyi people.

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A natural poser is, what was the important state function so many officials of government failed to attend? The statement didn’t clarify. Subsequent findings, however, showed it had to do with the burial of the mother of a prominent businessman and close associate of the governor, Chief Innocent Elechi Ojiugwo. The entrepreneur hails from the same Izzi clan as Nwifuru and is said to be one of the biggest financiers of his governorship campaign in 2023. According to reports, the burial event was duly logged in the governor’s itinerary, with the suspended functionaries listed among persons to accompany him. But the governor also had an official assignment in Abuja same day and when a delayed flight hindered his timely return, he assigned Deputy Governor Patricia Obila to represent him at the burial, with expectation that government officials would also massively attend.

Many government officials apparently got hint of the governor not returning in time for the burial ceremony and decided to also stay away. This did not go down well with Nwifuru, who directed that attendance be taken at the event. A media aide, Leo Oketa, in a Facebook post, said the governor, upon his return, directed the suspension of officials not at the burial. “This is not the first time the governor has warned about government officials absenting themselves from government functions. This time, he had to act,” the aide added.

You would wonder, though, how a private funeral became a state function as to justify culling government in reprisal against attendance defaulters. And what happened in ministries where both the commissioner and permanent secretary are on suspension? If the business of government is unhindered by the suspensions, those officials are superfluous and had no business being engaged in the first place.