By Austin Ogwuda
ASABA—DELTA Acting Governor, Prince Sam Obi, yesterday, dissolved the State Executive Council, thereby sending the Commissioners packing,  promising to reconstitute a new executive in the near future.

Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Dr. Beatrice Omeni, who announced this, yesterday,  in Asaba, in a statement,  said, “the Acting Governor, Prince Sam Obi,  has directed that the dissolution of the Executive Council should be with immediate effect.”

The statement urged all commissioners to handover the management of their respective ministries and government property in their possessions to the Permanent Secretaries in the ministries or the most senior Director, where there is no Permanent Secretary.

While wishing the commissioners well in their future endeavours, the SSG  said that “the state Executive Council would be reconstituted soon.”

Before the Acting Governor came in, there were 28 commissioners but four of them resigned to afford them time to contest for the 2011 elections.

Acting Governor Obi, had last Thursday, sent a list of new nominees for appointment as Commissioners to the State House of Assembly. They are Mr. Ngozi Okolie, Chief Paulinus Akpeki, Leonard Esegbue, Dumbiri Uweh, David Ekereokosu and Brave Enodeh. The commissionership nominees have been asked to report for screening today.
The dissolution of the state exco had been lingering.

Former Governor Uduaghan had on  June 3, this year, while swearing in a Special Adviser on Ethnic Harmony, a newly created office, Chief Elizabeth Ogbon-Dey at Government House Asaba, raised an alarm that some of the Commissioners were no longer loyal to his administration.

He said he had received reports that some members of his cabinet were disloyal and working contrary to the oath of allegiance they took.

He had said, “your loyalty should be 100 percent to this administration. I am giving you two weeks to put in your (resignation) papers if you feel you are no more loyal. For those of you (Commissioners), who are neither here nor there, we will take a decision on those we can work with. You cannot break or abandon the oath of office and oath of allegiance you took.”

It was, however, not clear whether the Acting Governor is working in tandem with the former Governor’s agenda, who has expressed his desire to return to office in the re-run election.

Acting Governor Obi was, however,  in the ex_governor’s entourage that met with Chief Sonny Odogwu on Sunday where Uduaghan  solicited for the continued support of the  people of Delta North.