Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has appointed himself as the commissioner for lands in the state.
Uzodimma announced this, yesterday, during the inauguration of 24 newly appointed commissioners at the Government House in Owerri.
Citing the example of a previous commissioner, who was embroiled in controversial land deals towards the end of his first tenure, the governor said that self-appointment is a way of preventing a repeat of such sharp practices.
Initially, Enyinnaya Onuegbu was appointed as the Lands Commissioner during the governor’s first tenure but was later replaced by Noble Obiaso Atulegwu, who previously served as the Commissioner for Skills and Entrepreneurial Affairs.
However, Noble was relieved of his duties due to allegations of corruption, leaving the ministry without a commissioner until now.
By appointing himself to this position, Uzodimma has taken an unprecedented step, sparking questions about the motivations behind this move.
An Owerri-based public policy analyst, Ikenna Amadi, said: “The implications of this appointment remain to be seen, but it is clear that this move has the potential to significantly impact the administration of lands and physical planning in the state.”
Meanwhile, the Imo House of Assembly has screened and confirmed two commissioner nominees recommended by Uzodimma.
The two nominees are Jerry Egemba from Ehime Mbano Council and Ignatius Nwabueze from Oru West.
