Abia State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo, has been reportedly suspended by Governor Alex Otti.
According to a Vanguard Newspaper report, she was said to have been suspended over allegations of lack of accountability and financial mismanagement.
The newspaper reports that according to social media reports, the embattled Commissioner was suspended indefinitely during the State Executive Council meeting on Monday.
A top Government official confirmed to Vanguard that the Governor asked the Health Commissioner “to step aside”.
According to the source which pleaded not to be mentioned, the governor’s action is to give room for the investigation of the Commissioner and her Ministry concerning a “barrage of complaints over financial mismanagement and lack of transparency.”
“There were issues of transparency in the delivery of duties and the Governor felt that some actions were not in tandem with his vision for accountability and transparency. He then asked her to step aside for the audit so that the process of the audit would not be affected.
“It’s not as if it’s a death sentence or indictment. It’s just to strengthen the Governor’s resolve to ensure that there is accountability,” the source said.
According to the source, the Governor said: “Step aside let’s look through some of the issues raised against you by some people concerning some of your conducts and delivery of your mandate as Commissioner for Health.
“You know we – the Governor and those who work with him – subject ourselves to public scrutiny. People keep sending in messages, and when you see a barrage of these messages coming against one person or Ministry, the best thing to do is to look into the activities of such a person or Ministry. And that’s what the Governor has done.
“Note that the Commissioner for Health has not been indicted for anything. What the Governor said is: “Step aside let’s look into your activities. The Governor is committed to transparency and accountability, and he has zero tolerance for corruption.”
Meanwhile, efforts to get a reaction from the embattled Commissioner were unsuccessful as she did not pick up calls put across to her.
As of the time of filing this report, she had yet to respond to a text message sent to her phone by Vanguard Correspondent.
Her alleged suspension is coming barely 48 hours after the Principal of the School of Nursing, Abiriba, was also suspended for alleged high-handedness and lack of transparency and accountability.
The Students Union Government had raised a strong petition against the activities of the suspended Principal, urging the State Government to intervene.
Similarly, the former boss of the State Orientation Agency was said to have been suspended over alleged sharp practices.
Gov. Otti had during the swearing-in of the Commissioners, warned that he had zero tolerance for graft, and would not hesitate to wield the big stick should any of his aides misbehave.
The Ministry of Health for the first time in the history of Abia State, got 15% of the state’s budget in the 2024 Appropriation Bill.
