TheCable

Dave Umahi, governor of Ebonyi state, has ordered the immediate retirement of all permanent secretaries in the state’s civil service.

Clement Nweke, the governor’s principal secretary, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Abakaliki, the state capital.

According to the statement, only Rose Nwokporo, clerk of the state house of assembly, was exempted from the retirement exercise.

“The affected officers are to complete all handover exercises in their respective ministries, boards and agencies before the close of work on Monday, November 16,” the statement read.

“All commissioners, heads of parastatals and agencies in the state, are to ensure total compliance to this directive.”

In a related development, the Ebonyi government has debunked media report that government house in Abakaliki was gutted by fire on Friday.

Emma Anya, chief press secretary to the governor, refuted the report in a statement made available to NAN on Sunday.

“There was an electrical spark in the office of the senior special assistant (SSA) to the governor on petroleum products pricing and distribution, Bassey Chima,” the statement read.

“No portion of the office was damaged as the SSA was attending the burial of former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) Sen. Pius Anyim’s mother-inlaw, when the incident occurred.

“When Chima was alerted of the incident, he ‘raced’ to Abakaliki and to God’s glory, staff of the government house had ‘doused’ the effect of the spark.”

The statement claimed that “only a photocopier and television set” were affected in the incident.