Enugu State House of Assembly has screened and cleared the 15 Commissioner nominees, being first batch whose list was sent to the legislature by the state Governor , Dr Peter Mbah on July 28,2023.
At their plenary on Thursday, the Lawmakers under the Chairmanship of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Uche Ugwu, subjected the Nominees to thorough screening devoid of the traditional “ take a bow and go”.
Three former Commissioners; Deacon Okey Ogbodo, Prof. Emmanuel Obi and Dr. Kingsley Udeh were also screened, though not as though as that of the first timers.
Prominent among those that were screened are Lyon Ekweremadu , son of the former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and Adaora Chukwu, daughter of former Governor of Enugu state, Sullivan Chime.
Engr. Lawrence Eze said if named Commissioner for works, he would make sure that contractors build quality roads that can stand the test of time.
Eze said that most roads wear off shortly after commissioning because they do not have a solid foundation.
On his part, Ekweremadu, a lawyer, said he would embark on programmes to decongest correctional facilities in the state, which he said ,were heavily congested.
According to him, most of the inmates were in the faculties on trumped-up charges while many others on awaiting trial had overstayed the number of years they were supposed to serve if found guilty.
On his part, Emmanuel Obi, a medical practioner ,said if made Commissioner for health, he will ensure that the Primary Health Centres were strengthened in order to cater for the health needs of the rural dwellers.
Obi, who was the immediate past Commissioner for Health, said the health centres should be made to operate for 24 hours, saying it has become imperative to implement a planning strategy to ensure improved health system in Enugu State.
Another nominee, Ngozi Enih, pledged to assist the state government to implement its policies and programmes, especially the ones that relate to youth and women empowerment.
She expressed worry at the number of unemployed and unskilled persons in the state, particularly those who have taken to criminality, stressing that she will initiate profitable programmes to address the ugly trend.
Nathaniel Urama on his part, advocated the need to de-risk the economic sector by using federal allocation accounts funds as sinking funds.
Also, Engr. Gerrald Otiji said he will bring his several years of experience to bare in transforming the infrastructure of the state should the Governor find him worthy to serve in that capacity.
He stated that the opportunities that abound in renewable energy will be explored as he has the technical expertise to harness these opportunities and help the state save a lot of money spent on energy.
Recall that the list of the 15 Commissioner nominees was sent to the Lawmakers on July 28,2023.