UMUAHIA, Nigeria – There is a looming crisis in several boards, agencies, and parastatals in the Abia State government following a directive by Governor Alex Otti instructing heads of the agencies to hand over to the most senior officials.
Otti, through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, had on Monday, June 5, 2023, announced the dissolution of all heads and boards of the state government and directed them to hand over to the most senior official.
Boards affected include the Abia State Community and Social Development Agency, CSDP, Secondary Education Management Board, SEMB, and others.
Reports say that a conflict is brewing at CSDP and other boards, where officials claiming to be the most senior are clashing over who should receive the handover.
An anonymous staff of CSDP told Vanguard that the agency has been in turmoil since the government’s announcement.
There is confusion between Pastor Uka Ndu Igwe, named by the state government as Acting General Manager, and Mr. Ekpo Ekejiuba, the Director of Finance and Administration and purportedly the most senior official.
The dispute over who should be handed the reins has caused a divide in the agency’s workforce, a situation allegedly echoed in nearly all the boards and agencies dissolved by the governor.
At the time of this report, efforts to get a response from the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Kazie Uko, were unsuccessful.
