The suspended Commissioner for Special Duties and Focal Person for Ebonyi Indigenes in Diaspora, Mr. Valentine Okike-Uzor, has stated that the decision by Governor Francis Nwifuru to suspend 87 senior government officials, including some members of the State Executive Council, was justified.

In a statement issued in Abakaliki, Okike-Uzor said the suspension, which affected Commissioners, Senior Special Assistants, Special Assistants, and Permanent Secretaries, was prompted by their consistent failure to attend official government functions.

He debunked widespread rumours that the disciplinary action was linked to officials missing a birthday celebration, calling such claims false and politically motivated.

?Opposition voices have taken to social media to twist the facts and post lies about the official engagement that led to the suspension of some state officials, myself included,? he said. ?Some claimed it was a birthday party, while others pushed different shades of falsehood to suit their mischief. These claims are untrue.?

Okike-Uzor maintained that the governor reserves the right to declare any function official and that such designations must be respected.

?Once the governor designates an event as official, that?s final. He doesn?t need to consult any book to do that. It is his exclusive discretion,? he stated.

He noted that many of the suspended officials had formed a habit of arriving late, sneaking out early, or completely absenting themselves from key state functions despite the governor?s repeated warnings.

?Some officials just show up briefly and sneak out, even while the governor is still present. Others arrive late or leave before him. These actions clearly breach official protocol,? he said.

While describing the suspension as unfortunate, Okike-Uzor accepted it in good faith and acknowledged that even a few diligent officials were affected.

?It?s unfortunate that a few who rarely miss government functions were caught in this particular web, but we must accept the punishment in good faith. We erred,? he admitted.

He commended Governor Nwifuru for his patience and leadership, describing him as a servant-leader committed to the collective growth of Ebonyi State.

?Governor Nwifuru is the only governor who would tolerate such an attitude for this long?not because he is weak, but because he believes in building Ebonyi together,? Okike-Uzor added.

?He finds it difficult to punish people; he prefers to correct. He has been very encouraging and patient with members of the EXCO.?

Mr. Okike-Uzor stressed that the governor does not condone irresponsibility and that the suspension was a fair response to a serious breach of duty.

?Not attending government functions is a major breach of trust and responsibility. The proper sanction could have been more severe.

?Other governors might have simply dismissed the affected officials outright. But Governor Nwifuru chose the path of discipline with compassion ? a carrot-and-stick approach, like a father nurturing his children.?

He urged the public to disregard misleading online reports and focus on the facts.

?Let us not contribute to spreading misinformation. The circulating online narratives are baseless conjectures and do not represent the true situation.? (The Nation)

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