Suspended Abia Commissioner resigns
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
Abia State embattled Commissioner for Health, Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo, has resigned her appointment, 45 days into her suspension from the cabinet of Governor Alex Otti.
Her resignation, which is coming barely a week after two other Commissioners had equally resigned their appointments, is contained in a four-paragraph statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Citizen Ukoha Njoku Ukoha.
The statement titled: “Resignation of Commissioner for Health, Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo,” was released to newsmen in Umuahia on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.
Dr Okoronkwo was suspended on June 10, 2024, to pave way for investigation into allegations of gross misconduct levelled against her.
Ukoha, in his statement, said the former Commissioner for Health “tendered her resignation letter to the Executive Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR.”
The Statement reads in part:
“The Governor while accepting her resignation, thanked Dr. Okoronkwo for her services to our dear State and her modest achievements in repositioning the Health Sector for better service delivery in the last one year. He wished her well in her future endeavours.
“The Governor reiterated his commitment to the transformation of Abia State and reminded Abians that they gave him the mandate to assemble his team, and this includes hiring, suspending or sacking his appointees or rejigging and reshuffling his cabinet whenever the need arises for the sole purpose of delivering all his promises to the people.”
Recall that Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo was suspended during the June 10, 2024 State Executive Council meeting.
A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu, announcing her suspension did not adduce reasons for her suspension.
Prince Okey Kanu’s statement read:
“SUSPENSION OF COMMISSIONER FOR HEALTH.
“The Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti has approved the suspension from office of the Commissioner for Health Abia State, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo.
“The suspension is to pave way for the investigation of allegations of gross misconduct levelled against the Commissioner.
“Governor Otti’s action is in line with his zero tolerance policy for misconduct of any kind, and strong adherence to the twin principles of transparency and accountability in governance to ensure that actions of appointees must at all times advance the good and well-being of Abians.
“The Abia state Government is committed to good governance and the rule of law under which persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.Consequently ,the the administration is painstaking in investigating and establishing facts of infractions or misconduct uncovered by it’s internal monitoring and feedback system.
“In the light of these developments,the Permanent Secretary Ministry of health Dr Ifeyinwa Kalu will collaborate with the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Azodo to run the affairs of the Ministry in the interim pending the outcome of further investigations into the allegations against Dr.Ngozi Okoronkwo.”
As at the time of her resignation, it could not be establish whether the panel investigating her has concluded it’s assignment.
Dr Okoronkwo is the third Commissioner in Abia under the current administration to resign her appointment.
On July 17, 2024, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Prof Monica Ironkwe, and her Science and Technology counterpart, Mr. Chima Oriaku, also threw in the towel.
