Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi on Thursday swore in new members of his cabinet, board chairmen, members and other appointees saying that the members were to reposition the cabinet for optimal performance.
At the event, he informed the appointees that he was expecting his second COVID-19 test result from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), on Friday and would isolate if it turned positive.
Umahi said that he would announce the test result when received from the NCDC headquarters in Abuja.
The governor said that he had previously directed all those who worked in the state’s 2020 budget review team to immediately undergo COVID-19 test.
“We are finalising the state’s budget review as required by the World Bank and after such hard work, most of us ‘broke down’ and are being treated for malaria.
“Any of us who tests positive will isolate and work from home and we have to be very courageous in doing this because a positive outcome is not a death sentence.
“Anyone who tests positive and takes care of himself or herself from the onset will be well just like my cabinet members who earlier tested positive but are presently negative,” he said.
He recalled that he had earlier tested negative to the virus from a test conducted after a hectic adaptation to the state’s newly-introduced accounting system in March.
“We have been on the new accounting innovation for the past three months and neither I nor my people in the accounting section found it easy.
“At the end of the first financial statement in March, some of my financial team tested positive to COVID-19 and I directed all Executive Council (EXCO) members including myself to go for COVID-19 test.
“Fortunately and unfortunately, some tested positive to the virus but myself, my Deputy and the State House of Assembly Speaker, tested negative while those who tested positive have since recovered and tested negative,” he said.
He congratulated the new appointees and noted that the major cabinet reshuffle he effected was not because any of the former office holders committed any offence.
“No one is expected to be excellent in every field but we will need excellent people to man the offices of the state Accountant-General and the Commissioner for Finance.
“We have requested for training from the World Bank and we have been assured of a six-month training.
“Any accountant who is, however, not Information, Communication Technology (ICT), compliant must be removed from the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) from July 2.
“They should be re-assigned to the governor’s office to afford them the opportunity of learning it because you cannot function without ICT,” he said.
Umahi directed the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to submit the relevant Local Government Area documents to the state House of Assembly for legislation within seven days.
“We want to commence modalities for the conduct of our council polls as I wish all the appointees success in their respective offices,” he said.
Mrs Elizabeth Agwu, former Accountant-General of the state and presently the Acting Chief of Staff to the Governor, thanked Umahi for the appointment and pledged on behalf of others to justify the confidence reposed in them.
