From Paul Ibe, Enugu
The political climate in the state has been going through a storm following the adoption of former minister of health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu by a faction of the PDP led by the state governor, Martin Elechi, as the consensus candidate ahead of next year’s governorship election.
Now, the governor has sacked 28 Coordinators of Development Centres in the state over alleged financial impropriety and acts inconsistent with his administration’s policies and programmes.
The state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr. Celestine Nwali, who made the announcement, had directed the sacked coordinators to immediately handover to the administrative officers in their respective various development centres.
Those affected include wife of second republic senator and 2015 gubernatorial Aspirant in the state, Dr. Offia Nwali, who until the development, was the coordinator of Ezza South Development Centre.
Others are, coordinators of Ebonyi Development Centre, Mr. Stephen Igwe; Amasiri Development Centre, Mr. Ogbonnaya Oko Enyim; Akaeze Development Centre, Mr. Emmanuel Orji; Effium Development Centre, Mrs Chinyere Igwe; Effium South, Mr. Bernard Uzim.
Also dismissed were, coordinators of Ivo, Mr. Chinedu Makwe; Echiele, Mrs. Christiana Ezenta; Ngbo East, Mr. Bernard Onwe; Ngbo North, Chinwendu Onwe; Ngbo West, Mr. Emeka Ogeh; Ohaukwu, Mr. David Odey; Ohaukwu North, Mrs. Ogechukwu Elebe; Onicha, Felix Ogbonna; among others.
Meanwhile, names of new coordinators to replace the former ones have also been announced, and they will be sworn in after the ratification of their appointments by the state House of Assembly.
The other PDP faction made up of some leaders of the party in the state, other governorship aspirants and those who believe that the adoption of Prof. Chukwu amounts to imposition of candidate had threatened that if the National Executive does not intervene and address the “injustice”, PDP should get ready to lose Ebonyi State in 2015.
