Otti in minor cabinet reshuffle, creates new ministries

…Appoints six more commissioners

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State in a bid to rejig his administration has appointed and sworn in six more commissioners as well as creating more ministries.

He has equally reshuffled and assigned the new ministries to some of the incumbent commissioners.

The newly sworn in Commissioners are David U. Kalu, Kingsley Chibueze Nwokocha, and Uwaoma Ukandu.

Others include Maureen Ijeoma Aghukwa, Ubochi Goodluck Chinedu and Ogbonnaya Uche, a professor.

While addressing the new commissioners after they had been administered with the oaths of office and allegiance by the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Ogubunka, the Governor congratulated and thanked them for accepting to serve the state.

“I want to thank the new Commissioners for accepting to serve our dear state and to contribute to the development of our dear state,” said Otti.

He informed the new Commissioners that they were required to be excellent administrators and team players in order to drive the execution of the programmes and agenda in their ministries. He also charged them to do all to deliver on their mandate.

“We have carefully selected these highly accomplished individuals to bring new ideas and energy to our team. The new nominations and appointments were made pursuant to our agenda to create a robust architecture that supports excellent service delivery.

“As I mentioned in this podium few weeks ago, effective leadership was an exercise in continuous team building, finding the right people and placing them where they are best suited to thrive. The task of public sector governance is an enormous one that requires having the right people on board in the right positions to drive the central agenda of the administration across many important frontiers.

“One of the major hallmarks of our administration is going against practices that had proven to stifle growth and dynamism. We have publicly rejected the traditional recruitment pattern of filling strategic Government offices with cronies who do very little in terms of execution of businesses of governance,” Otti stated.
The governor, however, warned the new appointees that there was no room for infighting, stressing that his administration has zero tolerance for corruption and any act capable of bringing the government to disrepute.

While assuring them that he was ever ready to provide them with necessary guidance, he disclosed that to further strengthen the governance architecture of the state, there should be minor restructuring of ministries, adding that it was aimed at making the ministries more dynamic and productive.

“To further strengthen the governance architecture, there shall be more restructuring of the Ministries to support the actualisation of the administration’s objectives and further empower the Commissioners to function optimally in their respective ministries which will be announced soon. This is aimed at making the ministries more dynamic and responsive to the evolving realities of Governance,” the governor noted.

The governor further made public that his administration was working on setting up the Greater Ohafia Development Authority to oversee the development of Abia North.

Responding on behalf of her colleagues, Ijeoma Aghukwa said that their appointment was a privilege and opportunity to serve. She thanked the governor for finding them worthy to serve and pledged not to disappoint him, assuring that they would put in their best to move the state forward.

In another development, Governor Otti has equally carried out a minor cabinet reshuffle, assigning new ministries to some of the incumbent commissioners, while some retained their positions.

Those who retained their offices included: Uzor Nwachukwu, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; Ikechukwu Uwanna, Attorney-General and Justice; Philemon Ogbonna, Environment; Nwaobilor Ananaba, Youths and Sports; Chaka Chukwumereije, Lands end Housing; Don Otumchere Oti, Works, and Ikechukwu Monday, Power and Public Utilities.

Okay Kalu still retains the Information arm of Information and Culture whereas Eme Uche Eme’s Ministry of Education was split into two – Basic and Secondary Education manned by Goodluck Ubochi and Tertiary Education Ministry which Eme now heads.

Blessing Ngozi Felix, who before the creation of new ministries by Otti, was in charge of Women’s Affairs and Poverty Alleviation now is assigned to Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection while Maureen Ijeoma Aghukwa has taken over the Women’s Affairs Ministry.

Similarly Ukaegbu Chimezie, who before the cabinet shake-up handled the ministry of Commerce , Trade and Industries has been catapulted kk to Transport while Sunny A. Onwuma, who handled the Transport Ministry, now calls the shot at the Labour and Productivity Ministry.

Whereas Ekwuribe Matthew, who before now headed the Digital Economy ministry is in-charge of the newly created Arts, Culture and Creative Economy.

Mike Akpara, who was in-charge of the Finance Ministry, has been assigned to the newly created Industry and SMEs ministry.

Others and their portfolios are Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, a professor of Medicine, Health; Joel F. Ogbonna, a professor, Petroleum and Mineral Resources; Kingsley Chibueze Nwokocha, Trade and Commerce, and David Kalu, Science Technology and Innovation.

The newly created Ministries are: Tertiary and Basic and Secondary from Education Ministry, Poverty and Social Protection from Women’s Affairs, Industries and SMEs from Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industries, while Arts and Culture and Creative Economy was carved out of Information and Digital Economy Ministries.