TheCable

Four commissioners, not just one, were sworn in by Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, governor of Enugu state, on Thursday contrary to the impression created by media reports.

Beside swearing in Emmanuel Obi as the new health commissioner to replace Anthony Ugochukwu, who died on April 5, Ugwuanyi also swore in Emeka Mamah, Uchechukwu Ogbonna and Tony Manfred Nzekwe, TheCable can report.

There are no suggestions of illegality as all the three commissioners were also cleared by the house of assembly.

The commissioner for health’s swearing-in was prioritised so he could hit the ground running and help to drive the state’s measures and efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, TheCable learnt.

“The government was trying to enforce social distancing and lead by example in the face of the coronavirus pandemic,” a government official told TheCable.

The swearing-in took place at the Lion Building.

Mamah and Ugochukwu, who were commissioners before going to participate in the recent local government elections, may return to their previous ministries of labour and rural government respectively.

Nzekwe is yet to be assigned a portfolio.