Governor Francis Nwifuru has explained that the suspension of Ebonyi State’s Health Commissioner, Moses Ekuma, was due to his failure to effectively manage the ministry.
Speaking in Abakaliki on Wednesday during the citizens’ engagement forum for the 2025 budget proposal, Nwifuru stated that Ekuma did not demonstrate the capacity required to run the health sector, despite the availability of qualified personnel.
The governor further described the state’s health ministry as “sick,” stressing that the government had invested heavily in the sector but had seen little return on those investments.
Nwifuru said that public officials should be proactive in fulfilling their duties and delivering on their mandates.
Nwifuru highlighted several areas where the health ministry had underperformed, despite significant financial commitments. He mentioned a contractor who was paid N3 billion to supply equipment and consumables to primary healthcare centers, yet the expected outcomes were not achieved, according to Peoples Gazette.
The governor announced plans to form committees to inspect health facilities across the state. He also noted the establishment of interventions, including a drug revolving fund for general hospitals, which has achieved 60% delivery. Nwifuru assured that efforts were being made to equip health facilities so that rural residents could receive immediate treatment before being referred to specialist hospitals.
Looking to the future, Nwifuru shared plans to run fully rehabilitated health facilities independently, with health officials managing operations and generating funds to sustain the facilities. He also compared this initiative to the state broadcasting service, which will be managed as a public liability company and rely on its generated funds. Redundant staff would be redeployed to relevant ministries.
The governor also issued a stern warning to commissioners and public officeholders, stressing that inefficiency would no longer be tolerated.
According to the governor, “When one is in a position of authority, such a person should know that it comes with lots of responsibilities. People in authority should not be lackadaisical in their approach to work and should deliver on their mandates.
” One contractor collected N3 billion to supply equipment and consumables to primary healthcare centres in the state.
“The government also spends billions of naira to bring primary healthcare centres and general hospitals in the state to standard, but there are no results.
“We have made several interventions, such as drug revolving funds for general hospitals, and this has attained 60 per cent delivery.
“We are equipping the health facilities so that when people fall sick in the rural areas, they will receive immediate treatment before being referred to specialist hospitals.
“The doctors would generate funds to pay themselves and other health workers and generate revenue for the government. The same will apply to the state broadcasting service, which will be run as a public liability company.
“The funds the establishment generates would be used to run it, and redundant staff would be redeployed to relevant ministries.
“They have been given opportunities to realise that they have responsibilities. We have spent one year and some months in office, and anyone who is joking should do so in his or her house.
