Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has carried out a minor cabinet reshuffle, affecting three key commissioners, as part of ongoing efforts to reposition governance and enhance service delivery across ministries.
In the changes announced on Tuesday by the new Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Chief Ikeuwa Omebeh, the former Information Commissioner, Jude Okpor, has been redeployed to the Ministry of Rural Development. Chief Omebeh, who was formerly at Rural Development, now takes over the Ministry of Information.
Similarly, the former Commissioner for Primary and Secondary Education, Paul Nwobashi, has been moved to the Ministry of Border Peace and Conflict Resolution. Dr Donatus Ilang, previously in charge of that ministry, now heads the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
Addressing journalists after the State Executive Council meeting, Chief Omebeh revealed that the Governor had given two other commissioners a six-month ultimatum to improve performance or face consequences. “Governor Nwifuru has directed the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Victor Chukwu, and the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Prof. Amari Omaka (SAN), to sit up within the next six months or face punitive measures,” he said.
Omebeh also announced the approval of the 2026–2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), describing it as “a strategic financial planning document that encompasses the Economic and Fiscal Update (EFU), the Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), and the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) for the state over the next three years.”
In line with its infrastructure goals, the state government has also approved the supply and installation of Independent Captive Power Generation Plants aimed at providing 24-hour metered electricity to select public and private institutions. The pilot project, which will generate three megawatts of electricity, is to be sited at ICT University Oferekpe, Agbaja.
On rural development, the Council gave the green light for Ebonyi State to participate in the federal government’s E-HEART initiative, including the payment of counterpart funding. “E-HEART stands for Energy for Health, Education, Agriculture, Rural Development, and Transportation,” Omebeh explained.
And the Executive Council approved the Ebonyi Business Enabling Reform Action Plan (BERAP) 2024, a document that tracks the state’s progress under the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) Programme. According to Omebeh, the plan “is aimed at positioning Ebonyi State to meet World Bank eligibility for the SABER Programme implementation in 2025.”
The government reiterated its commitment to good governance, innovation, and transparent reforms to enhance development outcomes across the state.
