Gov. Okorocha Nominates Commissioners, SAs, As Samuelson Iwuoha Emerges CPS

By Chuks OLUIGBO

Okorocha: Imo State governor

Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has sent a list of his commissioner nominees to the Imo State House of Assembly. The nominees include Mrs Veronica Adaora Ijezie, Mrs Ann Dozie, Chief Christian Ejike, Lady Chioma Ogoke, Chike John Okafor, and Barr Soronnadi Njoku, who contested the Ngor-Okpala/Aboh-Mbaise Federal Constituency seat under the umbrella of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN in the 2011 elections and lost to the Peoples Democratic Party’s Emeka Ihedioha, present Deputy Speaker of the House of Reps.

Others in the list are Dr Njoku Obi, Comrade Kenneth Emelu, Chief Jerry Okoli, Nze Enwerem B. Ogueri, Barr Nelson O. Ezerioha, Emeka Ndukwu, Barr Steve Ahaneku, and Prof Mrs Viola Onwuliri, wife of the outgoing Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, FUTO, and running mate to ex-Governor Ikedi Ohakim at the 2011 governorship election.

Also sent to the House was the list of special advisers. Below is a list of the special advisers and their portfolios: Chief P. C. Onuoha (Political), Prof Francis Dike (Legal), Nick Opara-Ndudu (Economic), Nwankwo Kanu, ex-international soccer star (Sports), Dr Sylvanus Amechi (Health), Prof Fabian Osuji (Education), Prince Macdonald Akano (Projects Monitoring and Evaluation), Chief Mike Obioha (Tourism and Culture), Chief Raphael Ekezie (Petroleum), Jude Ejiogu (Internally Generated Revenue), and Chief Mike Okiro, former Inspector General of Police (Security).

Both lists await House ratification.

Meanwhile, some Imo people have lauded the list, saying that it is reminiscent of the days of Dr. Samuel Onunaka Mbakwe. One commentator said: “The list of SAs is the best I've ever seen in Nigeria; the commissioners' list aims to balance political and development needs. In all, it is a good list.”

In a related development, the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Chief Ben Uwajimogu, has appointed Mr Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha as his Chief Press Secretary. Iwuoha, who was allegedly flogged by ex-Governor Ohakim right inside the governor's office for publishing materials that exposed the fraudulent transactions of the Ohakim government, was a House of Assembly aspirant for Nkwerre State constutuency under the ACN in the 2011 general elections.