Uduaghan sacks two commissioners

In what looks like the beginning of a major cabinet shake-up in no distant time, the Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan has booted out two of his commissioners.

Those affected are Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Bernard Okumagba and his counterpart in charge of Abuja Liaison Office, Mrs. Gloria Okolugbo.

Urhobo Vanguard reliably gathered that as the State Executive Council meeting convened last Thursday in Asaba, Governor Uduaghan pointed at Okumagba before the kick off of the meeting and said he should excuse the Council and directed his counterpart, Mr. Kenneth Okpara(Economic Planning) to take charge of the activities at the Finance ministry immediately and asked the female commissioner (Okolugbo)to wait at the SSG’s office.”

A source close to the State Executive Council had confirmed the development, saying “Yes, it is true, the commissioner was dropped today (Thursday). I think the decision was taken during the executive council meeting”.


Meanwhile, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has, through Comrade Ovuozourie Macaulay, Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in a statement signed by him and made available to newsmen in Asaba last Thursday evening, announcing that the state government just effected a minor cabinet reshuffle in the State Executive Council.

Accordingly, Mr. Kenneth Okpara, Commissioner for Economic Planning, has been reassigned to the Ministry of Finance to replace Mr. Bernard Okumagba who has been dropped from the State Executive Council.

Also, the Commissioner for Special Duties in charge of the State Liaison Office, Abuja, Comrade Gloria Okolugbo, has been directed to return to Asaba for reassignment while the State Head of Service is to post a Director to head the office forthwith.

Similarly, it said that the Overseas Development Agency currently in the Ministry of Economic Planning has now been returned to the Ministry of Finance, its original base.

It added that the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Planning will now take charge of the running of the affairs in the Ministry until a new commissioner is appointed.

It would be recalled that speculations have been rife in the state about imminent cabinet reshuffle by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.

Okumagba and Okolugbo were sworn-in along with 28 other civil commissioners in July, 2011 but Okumagba became the first to be relieved of the Commissionership appointment in what appears to be unclear circumstances.

Also, another commissioner, Princess Pat Ajudua had resigned from the cabinet at the twilight of 2011 when the courts pronounced her as the duly elected member to represent Oshimili North constituency at the state House of Assembly.

While reacting to the development, the Chairman of Coalition of Registered Political Parties in Delta State, Hon. Christian Moses Abeh hailed the decision and urged Governor Uduaghan to go the extra mile and dissolve the entire cabinet.

He said “Sir, Deltans quite appreciate your partial exco dissolution, but will celebrate if you sack all your exco including Special Advisers and SUBEB which is overdue, because they are all burden to the economic growth of the state”.