Resignation of commissioners in Abia creates vacuum in cabinet

Recent resignation of three Commissioners in Abia State government, Chima Oriaku, Prof. Monica Ironkwe, and Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo, who manned the ministries of Science and Technology, Agriculture and Health, respectively, have created a vacuum in the Governor Alex Otti’s cabinet.

Also, Otti had earlier hinted that he would create a new Ministry for Labour Matters, whose commissioner, according to him, would be selected from the labour movement, as part of a plan to re-jig his cabinet.

Justifying his imminent action in this regard, the governor, had, last week, while accepting the resignation of Dr. Okoronkwo, who tendered her resignation while on suspension from office, said that the mandate given to him as governor by Abians included assembling/hiring his team, suspending or sacking them, rejigging and reshuffling his cabinet whenever the need arises to enable him deliver his promises to the people.

He had also told journalists that actions like suspensions are normal in public office to pave the way for investigation of allegations against public office appointees, indicating that the findings of such investigation would determine their recall or otherwise of such suspended appointees.