Eric Odo, Chairman of Igbo Etiti Local Government Area in Enugu State, has faced significant backlash following his appointment of Ezeugwu Ogbonna as Senior Special Assistant on Agriculture (Yam and Pepper).
The appointment, confirmed in a letter dated November 1, has been widely criticized for its specificity and seemingly trivial focus.
In the letter, Odo instructed Ogbonna to report to the executive chairman of Igbo Etiti LGA in Ogbede for briefing and deployment. The letter emphasized that the position is temporary and held at the discretion of the executive chairman.
It read: “I am pleased to inform you that the executive chairman Igbo Etiti LGA has approved your appointment as senior special assistant to the local government chairman on agriculture (yam and pepper).”
In a related move, Odo also appointed Nwodo Ugonna as Special Adviser on Garden Egg and Pepper. However, the council chairman did not clarify the specific responsibilities of these roles, leaving many questioning their necessity and purpose.
The appointments have drawn mixed reactions, with some viewing them as a sign of ineffective governance and others suggesting they may have a deeper purpose within the context of local agricultural development strategies.
Nonetheless, the lack of clarity surrounding the appointees’ duties remains a point of public debate.
