Three commissioners turned up for a state dinner in Nigeria’s Ebonyi state recently, wearing t-shirts and the casual jeans trousers. But their state governor felt they had violated the dressing code that he had laid down and after the dinner ordered them to be suspended from office.
The commissioners affected by the suspension ordered by Governor, Martin Elechi are the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ben Igwenyi, the commissioner for culture and tourism, Hyacinth Ikpo and commissioner for works and transport, Chukwuma Nwandugo.
Their boss felt they should be punished for ‘improper dressing’. In a statement at the weekend, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Onyekachi Eni said Governor Elechi will not tolerate any form of indecent dressing from any of its officials; “the attitudinal change policy must be imbibed by everybody”.
According to Governor Elechi, the affected commissioners are barred from attending any official government function within the period of their suspension.
“There is no ‘sacred cow’ in this administration,’’ the statement quoted Elechi as saying.
Elechi had been critical about the mode of dressing by members of the State Executive Council. The governor had previously suspended his personal cleaner for dressing improperly to work. The state banquet was in honour of the Society for Gynaecologists of Nigeria.
