Did not transmit letter to Enugu Assembly…Deputy to become Acting Governor after 21 days
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The Governor of Enugu State, Governor Sullivan Chime has embarked on another overseas medical trip without transmitting appropriate letter to the State House of Assembly to enable his Deputy, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi to function as Acting Governor in his absence. The current medical trip which is currently causing tension among officials and aides of the governor as well as members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Enugu State, has been estimated to last for a period of three to four months, a government house source revealed.
Governor Sullivan Chime had returned to Enugu after 141 days about a year ago, on February 8, 2012, following a protracted medical treatment abroad. Although, his aides had insisted that the governor was on his accumulated vacation, Chime, however, returned to Enugu to announce that he was actually suffering from cancer which kept him away for a period of four months. Although the matter of the Governor’s current health condition has been kept as top secret by the Governor’s “kitchen cabinet”, impeccable sources disclosed that the Governor, who is suffering from cancer of the nose, travelled Tuesday morning (February 4, 2014) after his health relapsed again Monday night. Section 190 Sub-section 1 of the 1999 Constitution as amended provides that: “Whenever the Governor is proceeding on vacation or is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, he shall transmit a written declaration to the Speaker of the House of Assembly to that effect, and until he transmits to the Speaker of the House of Assembly a written declaration to the contrary, the Deputy Governor shall perform the functions of the Governor as Acting Governor.” Sources, however said that rather than comply with the constitutional provisions, the ailing Governor has instead left the state in the hands of his Chief of Staff, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo and other trusted allies, while keeping the trip a secret to his Deputy and other major stakeholders in the State. The Governor’s action might not be unconnected with growing political bickering between him and his Deputy culminating in the invasion of the Deputy Governor’s poultry farm located within the Government House by the officials of the Enugu State Capital Development Authority and Enugu State Ministry of Environment, who carted away over 3,000 birds, allegedly on the orders of Governor Chime’s Chief of Staff. The Enugu State Government had explained that the poultry farm located at the agriculture-designated part of the Government House constituted nuisance but the Deputy Governor alleged a deliberate political persecution, maintaining that the Governor himself has a bigger poultry farm, a piggery, and cattle ranch within the Government House premises.
Governor Sullivan Chime had returned to Enugu after 141 days about a year ago, on February 8, 2012, following a protracted medical treatment abroad. Although, his aides had insisted that the governor was on his accumulated vacation, Chime, however, returned to Enugu to announce that he was actually suffering from cancer which kept him away for a period of four months. Although the matter of the Governor’s current health condition has been kept as top secret by the Governor’s “kitchen cabinet”, impeccable sources disclosed that the Governor, who is suffering from cancer of the nose, travelled Tuesday morning (February 4, 2014) after his health relapsed again Monday night. Section 190 Sub-section 1 of the 1999 Constitution as amended provides that: “Whenever the Governor is proceeding on vacation or is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, he shall transmit a written declaration to the Speaker of the House of Assembly to that effect, and until he transmits to the Speaker of the House of Assembly a written declaration to the contrary, the Deputy Governor shall perform the functions of the Governor as Acting Governor.” Sources, however said that rather than comply with the constitutional provisions, the ailing Governor has instead left the state in the hands of his Chief of Staff, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo and other trusted allies, while keeping the trip a secret to his Deputy and other major stakeholders in the State. The Governor’s action might not be unconnected with growing political bickering between him and his Deputy culminating in the invasion of the Deputy Governor’s poultry farm located within the Government House by the officials of the Enugu State Capital Development Authority and Enugu State Ministry of Environment, who carted away over 3,000 birds, allegedly on the orders of Governor Chime’s Chief of Staff. The Enugu State Government had explained that the poultry farm located at the agriculture-designated part of the Government House constituted nuisance but the Deputy Governor alleged a deliberate political persecution, maintaining that the Governor himself has a bigger poultry farm, a piggery, and cattle ranch within the Government House premises.
Mr. Onyebuchi had wondered how a facility he inherited from his predecessors and had run since 2008 suddenly became a nuisance even though it was in conformity with best practices and with technical assistance from ENADEP and Commercial Agriculture Programme of the State Ministry of Agriculture. However, an Enugu-based constitutional lawyer said there would be no constitutional crises even if Governor Chime’s treatment lasts up to three months as being speculated. Section 190 Subsection 2 states that “In the event that the Governor is unable or fails to transmit the written declaration mentioned in sub-section (1) of this section within 21 days, the House of Assembly shall, by a resolution made by a simple majority of the vote of the House, mandate the Deputy Governor to perform the functions of the office of the Governor as Acting Governor, until the Governor transmits a letter to the Speaker that he is now available to resume his functions as Governor.” Therefore, the late President Umaru Yar’Adua scenario might not arise as, even without the Governor’s letter, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi is expected to automatically start running the affairs of the State as Acting Governor from February 24, 2013, about two weeks from now, in the event that Governor Chime fails to return to office before the expiration of the 21 days stipulated by the constitution.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Chukwudi Achife, when contacted said that the governor traveled overseas as part of his routine medical checkup but dismissed as untrue speculations that he would spend up to three months there.
He recalled that the governor had upon his return from a four-month medical trip in February last year told Nigerians that he would be traveling periodically to United Kingdom for medical checkup as directed by his doctors.
Chime had traveled to London not less than three times since then and on one occasion, he revealed that some of the cells that were destroyed in his body in the course of the chemotherapy treatment he underwent were not growing appreciably as expected.
The last public appearance of the governor was on Sunday, February 2, when he hosted the South East Governors and stakeholders’ meeting at the Governor’s Lodge. He was expected to have traveled to Abuja on Tuesday for the Council of State meeting but sources said he could not due to a disturbing development observed in his health condition. Rather he was said to have traveled out of Enugu Monday night to Abuja from where he was rushed London to see his doctors in the early hours of Tuesday.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Chukwudi Achife, when contacted said that the governor traveled overseas as part of his routine medical checkup but dismissed as untrue speculations that he would spend up to three months there.
He recalled that the governor had upon his return from a four-month medical trip in February last year told Nigerians that he would be traveling periodically to United Kingdom for medical checkup as directed by his doctors.
Chime had traveled to London not less than three times since then and on one occasion, he revealed that some of the cells that were destroyed in his body in the course of the chemotherapy treatment he underwent were not growing appreciably as expected.
The last public appearance of the governor was on Sunday, February 2, when he hosted the South East Governors and stakeholders’ meeting at the Governor’s Lodge. He was expected to have traveled to Abuja on Tuesday for the Council of State meeting but sources said he could not due to a disturbing development observed in his health condition. Rather he was said to have traveled out of Enugu Monday night to Abuja from where he was rushed London to see his doctors in the early hours of Tuesday.
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