Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has shed light on his decision to suspend the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma, for three months.
Speaking in Abakaliki during a citizens’ engagement forum focused on the 2025 budget proposal, the governor highlighted poor performance and lack of leadership within the health ministry as key reasons for the suspension.
Nwifuru emphasized the critical role of public officeholders, stating that “authority comes with responsibilities” and stressing the need for officials to be proactive and dedicated to their duties.
He described the state’s health sector as “sick,” despite the government’s substantial investments and the availability of qualified personnel.
“When one is in a position of authority, such a person should know that it comes with lots of responsibilities.
“People in authority should not be lackadaisical in their approach to work and should deliver on their mandates,” he said.
He regretted that the government had invested heavily in the health sector but there was little to show for such efforts.
“One contractor collected N3 billion to supply equipment and consumables to primary healthcare centres in the state.
“The government also spends billions of naira to bring primary healthcare centres and general hospitals in the state to standard but there are no results,” the governor said.
He also said that the government would constitute committees to inspect health facilities across the state.
“We have made several interventions, such as drug revolving funds for general hospitals and this has attained 60 per cent delivery.
“We are equipping the health facilities so that when people fall sick in the rural areas, they would receive immediate treatment before being referred to specialist hospitals,” he said.
Nwifuru said that when the health facilities are fully rehabilitated, they would be run independently by the health officials to make them viable.
“The doctors would generate funds to pay themselves and other health workers and generate revenue for the government.
“The same will apply to the state broadcasting service, which will be run as a public liability company.
“The funds the establishment generates would be used to run it and redundant staff would be redeployed to relevant ministries,” the governor said.
He warned commissioners and other public officeholders to take their duties seriously, adding that more would be sanctioned for inefficiency.
“They have been given opportunities to realise that they have responsibilities.
“We have spent one year and some months in office and anyone that is joking should do so in his or her house,” he said.
