Governor Hope Uzodimma is said to have set a template which will influence the choice of new Commissioners and other appointees of his administration, INNONEWS gathered.

Uzodimma had last month sacked 20 of his Commissioners, retaining nine of them.

Last week, he sacked over 100 aides, who are Special Advisers and Senior Special Assistants, SSAs encapsulated in the Expanded Exco, in what appears a major sweep of his officials he had appointed in March 2020.

Information and Strategy Commissioner, Declan Emelumba, reportedly said that the sack of the appointees, is geared towards ‘re jigging’ the administration for improved service delivery to the people.

INNONEWS was informed that Governor Uzodimma had appointed a large number of appointees to settle those who in one way or the other assisted and stood with him during his race to become governor of the state.

A source told this newspaper that “those days are gone. Now that he has settled majority of those who contributed to his campaign and ascension as governor, this is the time he will assemble his core loyalists to assist him run his government.

“A small government is being considered with fewer officials and not the crowd of appointees that dominated the past executives.

“This administration is about to enter the second half of its tenure, and this is the time to separate the wheat from the chaff and get the right team to carry out the task ahead

“This is the time to bring on board the real foot-soldiers of the governor who will help deliver the core mandate of this administration to the people of the state

“Some of the sacked Commissioners may be retained. There is so much lobby and pacification. Some of those who erred are begging and lobbying to return. It is the governor’s discretion to reconsider or not. He is really disappointed with most of them. Some of the sacked SAs may be upgraded. It is a win or lose situation for those who were recently sacked.

“Certain political interests will be accommodated. The APC, our party needs to be energized. Camp Hope members alone cannot call the shots all the time. This is why the outcome of the party congress will determine who gets what in the new phase of the administration. It’s a waiting game, and remember, the Governor has the exclusive right to choose who works with him” the source told this newspaper.

SOURCE: INNONEWS