Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, Oguike Nwachukwu, has said the governor appointed himself as Commissioner for Land, Survey and Physical Planning to rid the ministry of “criminal-minded fellows.”
Recall that the governor had while inaugurating 24 newly appointed commissioners at the Government House in Owerri, on Tuesday, named himself Commissioner for Land, Survey and Physical Planning.
According to Uzodimma, the self-appointment was to prevent a repeat of past incidents in the ministry.
Speaking with newsmen on Tuesday night, Nwachukwu said the “criminal-minded fellows have portrayed the government in a bad light.”
He added that the appointment was to enable proper monitoring and management of the ministry by the governor.
“The office of the governor will play supervisory role over the land ministry for now for the purpose of ridding the place of certain developments by some criminal-minded fellows which have portrayed the government in a bad light.
“I am certain most Imo people would love the governor to hold that position for as long as he remains in office because they trust his ability to protect their common patrimony,” Nwachukwu said.
The governor had in his first term appointed Enyinnaya Onuegbu as Commissioner for Lands, but was later replaced by Noble Atulegwu, former Commissioner for Skills and Entrepreneurial Affairs.
In November 2023, the governor suspended Atulegwu as commissioner in his cabinet.
