The Ebonyi State Government has denied claims that Governor Francis Nwifuru ordered the arrest of five commissioners over delays in the completion of two housing projects.
This is contained in a statement issued by Chief Donatus Ilang, Chairman of the Ebonyi Executive Council (EXCO) Committee on Supervision and Completion of State Housing Projects. Ilang, who also serves as the Commissioner for Border, Peace, and Conflict Resolution, dismissed the allegations as false.
“No commissioner was arrested, and you can confirm this from the police and other security agencies. The people writing such fake news are doing so from their imagination,” Ilang stated.
The controversy surrounds the construction of 140 housing units for residents of Izzo and Amaze communities, who were displaced due to the Ezilo/Ezza Ezilo communal conflict in Ishielu Local Government Area. The project was initiated by the state government to provide shelter for those affected.
According to Ilang, the government had only expressed concern over the delays and was determined to hold contractors accountable. “We informed them of the state governor’s displeasure over delays in the project and resolved to take drastic actions on the defaulters,” he noted.
He further stated that the commissioners involved had pledged to provide the committee with necessary details to address the issues with the contractors. “The governor is desirous to give the people of both communities, affected by a fratricidal communal conflict, housing reprieves. We gave all persons involved in the projects time to comply with the contractual terms,” he said.
Ilang also reassured that the committee’s main goal was to ensure the completion of the housing units as planned. “Our mandate is to ensure that the governor’s noble intentions towards people of both communities are actualized, and we would not toy with such,” he added.
The Ebonyi State Police Command also denied any arrests related to the situation. In an interview, the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed, “We did not arrest any commissioner.”
