Uneasy calm is pervading the premises of the Imo State owned Civil Guards located at Okigwe Road State Secretariat, Owerri, as Staff gather in groups, talking in hushed voices for fear of the unknown, as they ponder about the alleged impunity of their Director General and Commandant, Hon Donatus Ejifugha who has refused to vacate office, even after the State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has dissolved all the Boards and Parastatals in the State.
According to Information available to Trumpeta, the DG of the Imo Civil Guards, Hon Ejifugha, whose designation is “Director” is alleged to have claimed that he is a Civil Servant, and not an appointee, and therefore cannot vacate his office.
However, sources from the State Civil Service Commission, said that Ejifugha is an appointee of the Governor and not a career civil servant.
Tumpeta learnt that following Ejifugha’s attitude as if he owns the Imo Civil Guard, the Staff are asking if he is an Appointee, who should go when the Boards are dissolved, or is he Civil Servant who should continue in office after the dissolution of the State Expanded Executive?
Trumpeta was told that since Governor Rochas Okorocha has dissolved the entire State Expanded Executive, where then does Hon Ejifugha fall into, as he continues to come to work, and has refused to surrender any Government property within his reach.
This newspaper learnt that top officials of the Civil Guard have petitioned the Chief of Staff, Hon Uche Nwosu to step into the crises rocking the Guard before it goes out of hand.
Trumpeta learnt that as at now, the Staff of the Guard has decided to stop taking directives from Ejifugha who they said his tenure has elapsed, and are now waiting for the Governor to appoint a new Director General.
When efforts to reach Ejifugha failed, a source from the Civil Guard told Trumpeta that as a security outfit, it would not be right to create a vacuum in leadership, which is the reason Ejifugha is still coming to work, as he is waiting for the Governor to appoint a new Director General.
“Our DG is a sensible person. He is ready to hand over any time the Governor appoints his successor, but he is afraid of leaving the Guard leadership open as this may cause security problems” Trumpeta was told
But another source who spoke to Tumpeta said the proper thing for Ejifugha to do is to look among the Senior Staff, or his immediate Deputy and hand over to him or her, and must not wait until the Governor appoints a new Director General.
“Have the Commissioners not gone? Did they wait for their successors to be appointed by the Governor before they could vacate their offices? Trumpeta was asked.
Trumpeta learnt that the Governor will soon look into the management war raging at Imo Civil Guard now.
