Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State, Monday, announced the appointment of a former mayor of London, Anambra-born Ernest Ezeajughi, as chief of staff.
Mr Soludo also announced the appointment of Ben Chiobi as his special adviser on security and Richard Madiebo as chairman, Anambra State Internal Revenue Service.
Mr Ezeajughi was elected mayor of the London Borough of Brent on April 16, 2019, according to Black Past, an American online “reference center” dedicated to African American history.
Before becoming a mayor, Mr Ezeajughi, a strong member of British Labour Party, was elected councillor in Britain in 2014.
He won re-election in 2018 to retain his seat in a white-dominated political environment. He was also elected Deputy Mayor of Brent, months later, according to the reference centre.
The 62-year-old chief of staff was the chairman of the British chapter of Nigeria’s All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) between 2010 and 2012.
Mr Soludo won the Anambra governorship election under the platform of APGA which has remained the dominant party in Anambra politics.
Joe Anatune, media aide to Governor Soludo, told Journalists that Mr Ezeajughi had completed his two-year tenure as a London Mayor.
“I am sure he will be getting back (to Nigeria) now that he has been appointed chief of staff,” the media aide said, uncertain of Mr Ezeajughi’s exact return date.
Born in Awgbu Town, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Mr Ezeajughi studied medical microbiology at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University. He graduated in 1998.
After his participation in the one-year mandatory National Youth Service Corps scheme, he worked briefly in the family business, Koval Linkworld Agencies Ltd, before leaving for England to join his wife.
He would later bag a master’s degree in environment health management from the prestigious Kings College, London.
He has worked in several organisations in the past, mostly in Britain. Some of them include the Royal Mail, Public Health England and the Medicine and Healthcare Regulatory Authority.
Mr Ezeajughi’s appointment has brought the total number of appointments announced so far to six.
Mr Soludo had, within six hours after his inauguration as the sixth governor of the state, announced the appointment of three persons into his administration.
The three persons are Osita Chukwulobelu, a professor, as secretary to the state government, Chukwudi Okoli as the accountant general, and Chinedu Nwoye, appointed as the deputy chief of staff/state chief of protocol.