ENUGU INDIGENES GIVE GOVT ULTIMATUM TO PRODUCE CHIME

Worried by the prolonged absence of the Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Sullivan Chime, from government duties, a group of indigenes under the aegis of Save Enugu Group yesterday, petitioned the state Acting Governor, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, asking him to avail the public of information about the health condition of the governor and his whereabouts within two weeks.

The membership of the group, which is drawn from the three senatorial zones of the state, expressed dismay over the continued absence of the governor from the state without proper explanation from government, insisting that the people of the state have exhausted their patience and therefore, desired to see their governor.
But in a swift reaction, the state government dismissed the ultimatum and the group’s letter as a non-issue.

However, the letter dated January 8 and signed by prominent aides and close associates of former Governors Okwesilieze Nwodo and Chimaroke Nnamani; leaders of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) and other top members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, the group asked if it was constitutionally right for Chime to handover to an acting administration in perpetuity.

The statement, which was addressed to Onyebuchi, through the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), and jointly signed by Chief Maxi Okwu, Igbonekwu Ogazimora, Chief Willy Ezugwu, Mr. Ibuchukwu Ezike, Mr. Victor Eneh and Mr. Ray Nnaji, gave Onyebuchi up till a fortnight to comply with their demands.

Titled “Prolonged and Unexplained Absence of His Excellency, Sullivan Chime, Governor, Enugu State”, the group argued that though Chime had performed well, his unexplained disappearance had given room to avoidable rumour mongering and gossiping.

The group urged the acting governor to constitute a delegation, which should include eminent sons and daughters of the state to pay a visit to the governor wherever he is, and report back to the good people of the state.

It suggested that the delegation should include eminent persons like Bishop Callistus Onaga, Catholic Bishop of Enugu, Rev. Hyde Onuauluchi; former Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji; Igwe Paul Egbogu, Chief Grace Obayi, Chief Nduka Eya, Secretary General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Dr. Louis Anya Chukwuma, amongst others.
The group further urged the acting governor to give the matter the priority attention it deserves, in order to arrest the palpable anxiety in the state.

According to the group, “Today makes it 110 days since our great Governor was last seen in public. It is in the public domain that our Governor, Mr. Sullivan Iheanacho Chime, was last cited in public on September 19, 2012.  Since then sightings and near sightings of him have been reported which all turned out to be a hoax.

“This unsavoury state of affairs has created a thriving mill of idle gossipers who speculate on his whereabouts and state of health. These rumours have ranged from the insensitive to the ludicrous.

“Matters got to a head on December 15, 2012, the day of the fatal air disaster in Bayelsa state that claimed the lives of Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State and General Andrew Owoeye Azazi, when the national media was rent with the news also of the death of our governor.

The group recalled tat on at least two occasions the Commissioner of Information Enugu State in the person of Mr. Chuks Ugwoke, has come out with an official statement on the status of the governor, saying the governor was quietly enjoying his holiday and accumulated leave, or that he would be in office shortly.

“We are also told that at the time of his disappearance from public view, His Excellency as required by section 190 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), duly handed over to the deputy governor.

“We must bring to your notice that the public is awash with accounts of the inability of the Acting Governor to discharge his mandate under the Constitution as a cabal of unelected officers have rendered his authority otiose. We therefore most humbly submit that this is a most untidy state of affairs,” the group added.

Meanwhile, the state government through a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Chime, Mr. Chukwudi Achife, said though government did not intend to join issues with those he described as habitual attention-seekers, it was obvious that having realised that their media attacks have not achieved their intended results, they have now chosen to issue baseless statements as a group.

The statement reads: “Government does not intend to join issues with these habitual attention-seekers. This is, at best, the coming together of men whose views on the incumbent government are well-known and always predictable. It is obvious that having realised, perhaps most painfully, that their media attacks have not achieved their pre-determined goal, they have now chosen to issue a statement as a group.
“However, it is even more laughable that in dabbling into issues beyond their purview, they first mischievously leaked to the press a letter meant for His Excellency, the Acting Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi.

“We urge our people to ignore the hollow argument and baseless call by the group which merely expose the narrow mindedness of the pay-masters because the people of Enugu State know the real men behind the mask.”

Source: Thisday