Amidst accusations that led to her suspension by the Abia State Government and her subsequent resignation, the immediate-past Commissioner for Health, Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo, and her Amaokwe Item community expressed their excitement that the government has finally cleared her of any financial impropriety.
As a result, the Amaokwe Item in Bende LGA of Abia State people gathered on Saturday to receive Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo’s clearance from the government committee of any financial impropriety and mismanagement of Abia public funds.
Dr. Okoronkwo was suspended by Governor Alex Otti in June to allow for an investigation into allegations of gross misconduct levelled against her. However, after facing a committee set up to investigate her, she resigned.
But on Friday, Governor Alex Otti, during his monthly media chat, disclosed that the former health commissioner has been cleared of any financial impropriety and mismanagement of funds by the committee set up by his administration to investigate her activities while in office.
Receiving her at Item Mini Stadium during the 2024 Amaokwe women’s August conference, the people said Dr. Okoronkwo, who is their daughter, gave a good account of her service in the health sector to Item people and Abians in general and expressed satisfaction that she has been cleared of the allegations brought against her.
The President General of the Amaokwe Item Welfare Union, Harrison Eze Okorie, and the National President of the Women’s Wing, Mercy Kesandu Uko, presented awards of honour to the former Commissioner and gave her the title of Adaukwu Okwoaja of Amaokwe Item in recognition of her achievements as Health Commissioner in the state.
Addressing her people during the occasion, the former Commissioner, Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo, expressed her joy at being cleared of financial impropriety, thanked Governor Otti for giving her the opportunity to serve in his administration, and appealed to Item people to maintain their support for his administration.
Under her watch as the Commissioner for Health, she said, the dilapidated and abandoned Umunneato Hospital was rebuilt and brought back to life to serve the people, among other achievements, adding, “We came, we saw, and we conquered. The Labour Party remains the best place. We have been exonerated. We had the choice to do the right thing, and we did it. I urge you to continue to support Dr. Alex Otti in making Abia the place to be.”.
Government and party officials were at the occasion, including the Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Chimezie Ukaegbu, who said that the former health commissioner served the government and the people very well before her exit.
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