Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi has declared Wednesday, June 23, as public holiday to honour his dead commissioners.
The commissioners are Mrs Uche Okah, who was the Commissioner for Housing and Mr Fidelis Nweze, who was the Commissioner for Infrastructure Development.
The governor gave the order on Tuesday when he announced the death of Fidelis Nweze, who died in a fatal motor accident in Abuja.
He directed that all offices and markets be closed, while all flags are to be flown at half mast on Wednesday across the state.
He urged all government officials to embark on fasting to seek the face of God in the affairs of the state, and also charged the Christian Association of Nigeria CAN to organise three days of prayers and fasting starting from Wednesday at Christian Ecumenical Centre.
The governor then prayed for peaceful repose of the souls of the late members of the state executive council.
Federal Character reports that Uche Okah died on Friday, May 21 after a brief illness at a hospital in Abuja.
Governor David Umahi in a statement on Saturday, May 22 by his media aide ,Francis Nwaze, commiserated with the husband of the deceased, Celestine Okah.
Meanwhile Engineer Fidelis Nweze died in a hospital in Abuja due to injuries he sustained in an auto crash earlier in the week.
Governor Umahi confirmed his death to reporters on Tuesday in Abakaliki, capital of the state.
The Governor said: “Nweze died this morning at Turkish Hospital Abuja at about 9:50 am. He was travelling to Enugu on Saturday morning with his driver and orderly.
“At Obunagu in Enugu state, they rammed into a stationary truck. He was on the seat belt and they were all conscious. He was rushed to Niger foundation, Enugu.
“I got to know about it on Sunday and I insisted they move him to Abuja. I sent a doctor to the Turkish hospital.
“He was having severe pain, so they did an examination and discovered that the seat belt had ruptured his intestine.
“They did a successful operation and wanted to move him to the ward but we said no they should put him in an intensive unit for 3 days to be sure everything is okay.
“This morning they said he had a crisis and at about 9:50 am he died”.
The governor described him as irreplaceable and one of the pillars of his administration.
“I feel so sad and empty. To me, it is like a dream. It is like my younger brother, my son or very close friend just slept and died,” he wept.
Nweze was Commissioner for Works in the first tenure of Governor Umahi between 2015 and 2019.
Nweze is reported to be the man behind the many infrastructural developments recorded in Ebonyi State in the last six years.
