Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has sacked the state Commissioner for Works, Stanley Lebechi Mbam, seven months after suspending him over alleged dereliction of duty and the slow pace of infrastructure projects in the state.
The Commissioner’s removal was announced on Saturday, September 19, 2026, by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Monday Uzor, in a statement issued on behalf of the state government.
According to the statement, Governor Nwifuru directed Mbam to immediately hand over all government property in his possession, including his official vehicle, to the Secretary to the State Government, SSG.
The former commissioner was also ordered to formally transfer his responsibilities to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works.
The state government, however, did not state the immediate reason for Mbam’s latest removal.
The development comes against the backdrop of an earlier suspension that temporarily removed Mbam from the Ministry of Works earlier this year.
On February 28, 2026, Governor Nwifuru suspended Mbam indefinitely alongside the Commissioner for Infrastructure Development for Concession, Ogbonnaya Obasi Abara.
The suspension followed concerns raised by the administration over the pace of infrastructure projects and what it described at the time as lapses in the Ministry of Works.
Three days after his suspension, on March 3, Mbam publicly apologised to Governor Nwifuru and appealed for another opportunity to serve in the administration.
In his appeal, Mbam reportedly accepted responsibility for what he described as unmet expectations and sought the governor’s forgiveness and another chance to continue serving the state.
His appeal was eventually granted.
On May 3, 2026, Governor Nwifuru recalled Mbam and other suspended officials back into government.
The recall was announced during a Father’s Day service at the Government House Chapel in Abakaliki, bringing Mbam back to his position as Commissioner for Works.
His return to office, however, lasted only a few months.
With Saturday’s announcement, Mbam has again been removed from the Ministry of Works, this time with the state government directing him to hand over government property and transfer his official responsibilities to the ministry’s Permanent Secretary.
The latest development marks a new turn in the administration’s handling of the Ministry of Works, which remains central to Governor Nwifuru’s infrastructure agenda.
While the government did not give a specific reason for the latest sacking, the commissioner’s previous suspension had been publicly linked to concerns about project delivery and alleged dereliction of duty.
Governor Nwifuru, according to his spokesman, assured residents that his administration remained committed to effective governance and the improvement of public infrastructure across Ebonyi State.
Mbam’s removal therefore comes less than five months after his return to office and about seven months after his initial suspension, bringing renewed attention to the administration’s expectations of officials overseeing major infrastructure projects in the state.