Imo State governor Hope Uzodimma has appointed himself commissioner of Lands, stating that the last appointment witnessed so much corruption and confusion over land issues in the state.
Uzodimma announced this self-appointment during the swearing-in ceremony of his commissioners and Special Advisers at the Government House in Owerri.
I will be in charge of the ministry lands that have caused a lot of confusion and corruption. We will sanitise the land system in Imo state, he stated.
The governor swore into office 24 commissioners and 16 Special Advisors.
Speaking to the new appointees, Uzodimma emphasised the importance of integrity as he warned against corruption within his administration.
“I have just performed my official duty of swearing in the executive council members. I want to congratulate you on your well-deserved appointment. I want to tell you that oath-taking is a serious act that places a lot of responsibilities on you. Therefore, the public will be watching you from now on, subsequently, to conduct yourself in a most dignified manner. Only those who persevere will prevail,” the governor said.
While encouraging them to do their jobs and avoid corruption, Uzodimma added that more appointments are underway.
“The appointment of those who will work with me is still ongoing. More appointments and swearing-ins will be made. So, I expect a lot from you. I recall that during the retreat, I explained many of the things expected of you and warned you to stay away from corruption that would destroy the image of this administration.”
He also said that he had established a monitoring unit in his office to oversee their work, stating that anything below average would mean failure.
“There will be quarterly performance assessments on you and there will be no excuses. We must leave a legacy of prominence. We will work harder than what we did in the first term,” he said.
The new appointees include the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Cosmos Iwu, Chief of Staff, Nnamdi Anyaehie, Deputy Chief of Staff, (General Services) Deputy Chief of Staff, (Admin) Patrick Ekeji, Deputy Chief of Staff (operations), Emeka Agbo, Head Political Bureau, Enyinnaya Onuegbu, Chief Press Secretary, Oguike, Nwachukwu, also the Commissioner for Information, Public Enlightenment and Orientation.
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