Ebonyi Governor Nwifuru Reshuffles Cabinet, Issues Six-Month Ultimatum to Two Commissioners

Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has carried out a minor reshuffle within his executive cabinet, involving the redeployment of three commissioners.

In the changes announced on Tuesday, the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpor, has been reassigned to head the Ministry of Rural Development. His predecessor in that ministry, Chief Ikeuwa Omebe, now takes over as Commissioner for Information and State Orientation.

Similarly, the Commissioner for Primary and Secondary Education, Paul Nwobashi, has been moved to the Ministry of Border Peace and Conflict Resolution, while Dr. Donatus Ilang, who formerly held that position, will now oversee the education ministry.

Speaking during a press briefing, the new Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Ikeuwa Omebe, disclosed that Governor Nwifuru has issued a six-month performance ultimatum to the Commissioner for Environment, Victor Chukwu, and the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Prof. Amari Omaka (SAN), warning that failure to improve would attract sanctions.

Omebe also revealed that the State Executive Council has approved the 2026–2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), which includes the Economic and Fiscal Update (EFU), Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), and Budget Policy Statement (BPS) for strategic financial planning over the next three years.

In other developments, the Council approved the installation of an Independent Captive Power Generation Plant to provide round-the-clock electricity to key public and private establishments, starting with a 3-megawatt plant at the ICT University, Oferekpe, Agbaja.

Additionally, Ebonyi State will participate in the federal government’s E-HEART project—an initiative aimed at boosting energy access in health, education, agriculture, rural development, and transportation sectors. The Council also adopted the 2024 Ebonyi Business Enabling Reform Action Plan (BERAP), a key requirement for the state’s participation in the World Bank-backed SABER Programme slated for 2025.