By CHARLES IWUOHA

Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has directed his Special Assistant on Water Resources, Franklin Ukah, and his Housing and Urban Development counterpart, Patrick Enyi, to take charge of their respective ministries as acting commissioners.

The governor also directed his Special Assistant on Primary Health, Dr Sabinus Nwibo, to take charge of the State Ministry of Health as acting commissioner.

The Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpor, disclosed this at a press briefing on the outcome of the state executive council meeting held on Tuesday in Abakaliki, the state capital.

The governor had suspended Commissioner for Water Resources, Magnus Nkah, and his Housing and Urban Development counterpart, Francis Ori, indefinitely for misconducts and dereliction of duties.

He also suspended Commissioner for Health, Moses Ekuma, for three months for same offence.

Okpor explained that the directive was to ensure that the business of governance does not suffer in the absence of the suspended Commissioners

He disclosed that the council has approved fund for the procurement and supply of 100 drums of 200 litres chemical foams compound for the state fire service to adequately equip the service in readiness of any eventuality in this dry season.

On rural electrification and dualization of a section of Abakaliki-Ogoja highway from Onuebonyi to Nwezenyi junctions in the state, the Commissioner said "the Commissioner for Land and Survey approached the council with a memo on the schedule of compensation assessment on the unexhausted improvement/facilities affected by the dualization of a section of Abakaliki-Ogoja highway (from Onuebonyi junction to Nwezenyi junction).

"The council considered the same and approved the sum of Three Hundred and Seventy-five Million, One Hundred and Nineteen Thousand, Ninety-six Naira Fifteen Kobo), (#375, 119, 096. 15) only for the purpose.

"EXCO further approved that it should be handled by the Engr. Ogbonnaya Obasi Abara-led EXCO committee handling the payment of compensations for those affected by the ongoing construction of flyover at Vanco. Reports on these assignments are to be presented separately to EXCO.

"In furtherance of the State Government's determination to restore public power supply to the entire Ebonyi South Senatorial zone and also boost economic growth in the state through the energization of the long abandoned 132/33KV substation at Amasiri, the council approved the release of a recoverable TCN guaranteed loan of USD781,235,67 N130,258,048.24 to ensure the completion of the double circuit 132KV line from Mile 50 to the Amasiri substation".

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