may appoint commissioners this month
Apparently following the steps of his master at the centre, President Muhammadu Buhari, who took six months to name his cabinet, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, who is yet to appoint commissioners, has announced the pruning of the Eastern Heartland State’s 22 ministries to 13.
He cited the disturbing general economic situation in the country as the compelling reason for the Federal Government and the states to resort to adoption of certain adjustment measures, saying the pruning was a determination of his government to make the ministries effective and productive.
Okorocha said the decision to slash the ministries was taken at a joint meeting of senior government officials, the permanent secretaries and him.
He said during the referenced meeting, those in attendance thoroughly reviewed the functions of all the ministries, and the current challenging situation in the country, and at the end saw the need to restructure the ministries to reflect the general circumstance in the country, and make them responsive and result oriented.
It was also decided that the permanent secretaries in the affected ministries and the staff would be moved to other ministries.
The governor recently told newsmen that he was scared of appointing commissioners because of paucity of funds, although he would do so pretty soon.
Analysts believe he is waiting for the centre to name cabinet before he would follow suit.
“In other words, pruning down of ministries from 22 to 13 would not in any way lead to loss of jobs. For the 12 ministries left to function, there would be a blueprint on how to make them solid and viable, with the aim of achieving the desired result,” said Okorocha, in a statement by his chief press secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo.
He said the ministries would be merged to arrive at the 13 agreed on, adding that the action was taken in the overall interest of the state and its people, while appreciating the prayers and understanding of the Imo people.
