By Naomi Sharang

A chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Ita Enang, has advised state governors to critically re-assess the roles and responsibilities of commissioners and aides, in line with constitutional provisions.

Enang, a former Senior Special Assistant to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters (Senate), gave the advice on Thursday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

NAN reports that Enang spoke against the backdrop of the recent suspension of some commissioners and special advisers by Gov. Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi for failing to attend ‘an important government function’.

The suspension was announced in a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Monday Uzor.

Reacting to the development, Enang emphasised the need for clarity in the duties assigned to commissioners and aides, noting that governors must avoid ‘arbitrary expectations’ that go beyond their constitutional mandates.

“I have heard of instances in several states where governors insist their aides must attend events that fall outside their designated portfolios.

“I call on governors — whether from APC, PDP or any other party — to re-evaluate the roles of their commissioners and other aides.

“Assign them specific duties that require regular performance reports weekly or bi-weekly,” he said.

The former lawmaker also suggested that attendance at official functions should be based on relevance to the commissioners and other aides’ areas of responsibility.

“Commissioners should only accompany governors to events where their expertise or inputs are required.

“Before any inspection or public engagement, a governor should receive detailed written briefings from the relevant commissioner,” he stated.

Enang recalled administrative procedures during his time in the presidency under Buhari, saying that coordination was efficiently managed.

“While we worked with President Buhari, the Chief of Staff and the Chief of Protocol handled logistics and scheduling, in collaboration with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

“Not everyone accompanied the president, and movement was properly streamlined,” he said.

Enang expressed concern over what he described as excessive entourages used by some governors.

“Nowadays, it is not uncommon to see governors travelling with convoys of over 60 vehicles — more of a display of power than necessity,” he said.

While acknowledging Nwifuru’s power authority to appoint, suspend or dismiss any of his aides, Enang, however, queried the rationale for the current suspension.

“He has the power to suspend them, yes. But citing their absence from an event as the reason raises concerns.

“Commissioners have constitutional responsibilities tied to specific ministries, such as education, agriculture and health. Their attendance at events should be relevant to their duties,” he said.

He urged state governments to institutionalise proper protocols for organising official outings, ensuring commissioners are invited only when necessary.

“It is the responsibility of the Chief of Staff, Chief of Protocol, and Secretary to the State Government to determine who should accompany the governor to an event — not every commissioner should follow him everywhere,” Enang stated.

According to the former presidential aide, using commissioners as mere attendees at public functions undermines governance.

“Treating commissioners as personal assistants devalues their offices and hampers effective service delivery.

“It reflects a misunderstanding of their constitutional role and weakens the machinery of governance,” he argued.

While reaffirming his respect for Nwifuru, whom he described as a “friend’, Enang called for a reconsideration of the decision and a better appreciation of the constitutional roles of his commissioners and other political appointees. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq