Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has directed all ministries handling ongoing government projects to ensure their completion within three months or face sanctions.
The State Commissioner for Information, Ikeuwa Omebe, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists on the outcome of the 14th meeting of the Ebonyi State Executive Council (EXCO), presided over by the governor at the Government House, Abakaliki.
According to Omebe, the EXCO meeting featured the swearing-in of newly appointed government officials, including members of the State Civil Service Commission, a Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, and the Secretary of the Rural Electrification Board.
He said Governor Nwifuru charged the appointees to discharge their duties with diligence, dedication and professionalism to ensure the overall success of his administration.
Omebe stated that the governor specifically directed the chairman, secretary and members of the Rural Electrification Board to immediately extend electricity to rural communities across the state as part of efforts to curb rural–urban migration and stimulate grassroots development.
He added that the governor also urged the newly inaugurated members of the State Civil Service Commission to work closely with the commission’s leadership to reposition the civil service for greater efficiency and improved service delivery.
On education, the commissioner said the council received an update on the state’s foreign scholarship programme, noting that 104 beneficiaries of the first batch have successfully completed their master’s degree programmes and are already proceeding to PhD studies under the state government’s fully funded scheme.
He further disclosed that 98 indigent students are beneficiaries of the second batch of the programme, adding that 55 of them had departed the country for their studies as of February 2, 2026.
According to him, the remaining beneficiaries would travel in batches based on their academic schedules, with others expected to depart by September 2026.
Omebe also revealed that the council constituted a three-man committee to review a proposed bill seeking to prohibit the sale and purchase of metal and electric scraps, following extensive deliberations.
He said the committee is expected to fine-tune the bill and submit its report at the next executive council meeting.
