By Ewa Innocent, Abakaliki.
Ebonyi State Government has approved the setting up of a post COVID-19 economic team to drive the initiatives of the state government on zero-oil Economy.
This, forms the major highlights in this week’s state Executive Council meeting held at the old government house, Abakaliki.
In a joint press briefing, the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Barr. Uchenna Orji, said the team,namely—Small and medium Enterprise and job creation, Agriculture, Industry, Trade, Solid mineral development, International market, Completion of teaching hospital, Shopping Mall, ICT, Centenary City/Estate Development Committees, would be on voluntary basis.
Other resolutions reached at the meeting, according to Barr. Orji included; deploying resources to complete critical projects in the state like, Airport, Stadium, Flyovers, Dualization of Abakaliki Afikpo road, Afikpo Abakaliki road, and the approval by EXCO to reactivate the state Commission of Inquiry into the spending of N2 billion CAC’s Agric fund for 2016.
Orji, said the state Executive Council(EXCO), also approved the appointment of Mr. James Iro Egwu as acting General manager of Community Social Development agency(CSDP).
Dr. Kenneth Ugballa, Secretary to the State Government(SSG), also in the briefing, said, state Council approved the setting up of a five man Committee to investigate the alleged Human Rights violations at Amasiri, Afikpo North LGA, with a view to unravel the remote and immediate causes.
Ugballa, said Council also received report on Enyibichiri in Ikwo LGA and Enyigba in Abakaliki LGA land dispute, and resolved to acquire the disputed land in line with extant laws, while N259 million was approved by EXCO for the funding of the next segment of the Ebonyi Airport project.
The Senior Special Assistant on Human Capital Development, Mrs Ann Aligwe, said about 70,000 Households from Ebonyi state have so far been captured under the ongoing Conditional Cash Transfer profiting exercise.
Chief Moses Nomeh, Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, noted that Council approved that proposal for the three rice mills and four cassava plants in the state be sent to the procurement Council for due process details.
