Real reason Ebonyi governor suspended 87 govt officials

Fresh facts have emerged on why Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State suspended 87 government officials in the South-eastern state.

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PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Nwifuru suspended 87 government officials on Monday.

The governor, in a statement by his spokesperson, Monday Uzor, had claimed the officials were suspended for not attending an “important government function” over the weekend.

Of the 87 officials, 25 commissioners, 14 senior special assistants, 24 special assistants, and 22 permanent secretaries were affected.

Burial or important govt function?

Although the announcement claimed the suspension was due to the officials’ failure to attend an “important state function,” findings showed the event was a burial ceremony.

It was the burial ceremony of the mother of Innocent Elechi Ojiugwo, one of the governor’s kin and friends.

Mr Elechi, an entrepreneur, hails from the same Izzi clan as the governor, it was gathered.

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The entrepreneur was said to be one of the biggest financiers of Mr Nwifuru’s governorship campaign.

Observers say this may have prompted the governor to move all government officials to the burial.

But many argue that it is the governor who defines what a ” state burial” or an “official government function”.

‘Compulsory attendance’

According to Mr Nwifuru’s itinerary, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, all state government appointees were required to accompany the governor to the funeral service.

The itinerary specifically listed the deputy governor, the speaker of the Ebonyi House of Assembly and his deputy as among the officials to attend the funeral service.

Others included members of the National Assembly, members of the state assembly, the Chairperson of the ruling All Progressive Congress, and other party officials in the state.

Local government chairpersons in the state were also required to attend the event.

The list also included the commissioners, principal officers of government, senior special assistants, special assistants, personal assistants and permanent secretaries.

Other appointees expected to attend included chairpersons/members of boards, commissions, the Forum of CEO’s, coordinators of development centres, and Local Government Advisory Committee members.

Other support groups and youth groups were also listed to attend.

Flight delay

However, Mr Nwifuru was said to have had his flight delayed in Abuja on the burial day, prompting the governor to delegate the Deputy Governor, Patricia Obila, to represent him at the burial.

A senior special assistant to the governor on new media, Leo Oketa, confirmed this in a statement posted on Facebook on Tuesday.

“The governor’s official engagement for Friday, 2 July 2025, was a funeral at a place called Abofia in Ebonyi LGA of the state.

“He was to come back from Abuja on the same day and attend. Due to Air Peace’s delay of his flight on the said date, he instructed his deputy governor to represent him and directed all government officials to be there (at the burial),” Mr Oketa said.

The media aide added that the governor’s chief protocol officer had also sent a notification that the governor had directed that names of the attendees be recorded at the function.

He said the governor became enraged upon his return and examination of the attendance at the event, and found out that the majority of his officials did not attend.

“So yesterday (Monday) at the office, he requested attendance and directed the suspension of those who were not in attendance.

“This is not the first time the governor has warned about government officials absenting themselves from government functions. This time, he had to act,” Mr Oketa stressed.

Outrage

However, the media aide’s explanation drew condemnation from critics who faulted the officials’ suspension for their absence from the burial ceremony.

One of the critics, Ikechukwu Elom, expressed surprise that the entire state government officials were drafted to attend a burial.

Mr Elom also condemned the media aide for his attempts to justify the suspension.

“Is it a lack of awareness or just crass incompetence? How is a private burial a state function to the extent that the entire gamut of state apparatus would be compelled to attend, and those who did not, were suspended?” he wondered.

He suggested that, despite being a state burial, not all the federal government officials accompanied President Bola Tinubu to the burial of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

“In trying to set the record straight, the governor’s online media aide ended up opening another vista of confusion. Sometimes, it is better to be silent,” he said.