Jonathan Donates 500 Bags of Rice to Ebonyi

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has donated 500 bags of 5-kilogram rice to the Ebonyi government as palliatives to cushion the effects of COVID 19 on its people.

Dr. Kenneth Ugbala, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), disclosed this after the State Executive Council meeting on Friday.

The SSG said that Jonathan made the donation in the company of his wife, Patience.

Ugbala said that the rice donation was made in Abuja and would be used as palliatives to Ebonyi indigenes residing in FCT.

The SSG also announced the appointment of Mr. James Iroh as the Acting General Manager of Ebonyi Community and Social Development Agency (EBCSDA) with effect from June 1, 2020.

“The state governor had in October 2019, directed that the then suspended Chairman of the agency, Dr Peter Mbam, be allowed to complete his tenure which should expire on May 31, 2020.

“The state EXCO received a memo on this and resolved that with one week to such expiration, Mbam should cease to be the GM of the agency,” he said.

The SSG then announced Mbam’s subsequent appointment as a Special Assistant (SA) to the governor on Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) alongside two other appointees.

“The other appointees include; Mr Chidiebere Egwu – SA on Youth Employment and Mr Mojibade Ekuma -SA on Finance.

“The EXCO also frowned at the attitude of some governor’s aides toward their duties and warned them to henceforth take such duties seriously,” he said.

Ugbala further announced that the state Deputy Governor was directed to inaugurate a five–man committee to investigate the alleged human rights abuse at Amasiri, Afikpo North Local Government Area of the state.

“The committee, which should unravel the remote and immediate causes of the incident, is given two weeks to execute the assignment as government will not condone the abuse of its citizens’ rights.

“The governor is also handling the probe into the death of an indigene of Afikpo South Local Government Area and the law must take its full course no matter the individuals involved,” he said.

Mr Uchenna Orji, Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, during the briefing, said that the commission of inquiry investigating the disbursement of the N2 billion agricultural loan would not witch-hunt anyone but ensure that due process was followed in such disbursement.

“The commission was constituted in 2019 but due to some exigencies, the state attorney general sought for amendment in its membership to enable it complete its duties,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor after the meeting, signed various laws presented by the state House of Assembly, including Ebonyi Public Procurement and Related Matters Law 009 of 2020.

The governor also signed the Ebonyi Internal Revenue Service for Collection and Administration of Revenue to Ebonyi and Local Government Area 010 of 2020, Ebonyi Harmonisation of Rates and Levies Collectable by Local Government Area Law 011 of 2020 among others. (NAN)