Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has approved the immediate dissolution of all his political appointees in the state.
Chris Ezem, the Secretary to State Government (SSG), announced this in a statement on Thursday.
Special assistants, senior special assistants, special advisers, and technical advisers are among those affected, according to Ezem, a lawyer.
This implies that state commissioners were unaffected.
“The governor further directs the state accountant general to ensure that all appointees receive their stipends in March 2023,” Ezem said.
According to the SSG, the governor thanked the sacked appointees for their contributions and services to the state and wished them success in their future endeavors.
The firing came just days after Ikpeazu named his governorship candidate,
Okey Ahiwe of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was defeated in the state governorship election on March 18 by Alex Otti of the Labour Party (LP).
Otti, the LP candidate, received 172,386 votes to defeat his closest rival and PDP candidate, Ahiwe, who received 88,174 votes.
Remember that Governor Ikpeazu also lost his senatorial bid in Abia South District to All Progressives Grand Alliance candidate Enyinnaya Abaribe.
The removal of political appointees comes just 24 hours after Otti, the governor-elect, warned that the state government was engaging in late-night employment racketeering in the state.
Ikpeazu, on the other hand, denied the allegation, pointing out that even if the allegation were true, his administration, “with executive powers to punish,” would not be able to do so.
run the affairs of the state” has the power to hire employees of the government if it so desires. Otti is expected to be sworn in as the governor of the state on 29 May when the tenure of the incumbent governor, Mr Ikpeazu, would come to an end.
