The Enugu State Government on Thursday described as false and misleading, claims by the deputy governor of the state, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, that Governor Sullivan Chime also operated a poultry and piggery in the government house.
Onyebuchi had made the allegation while testifying before the impeachment panel on Wednesday.
However, reacting to the development, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Chukwudi Achife, in a statement, said the deputy governor’s claims were malicious and intended to deceive the public.
Achife explained that while the Enugu State Government maintains an ‘Agric Unit’ as part of the government house structure where livestock are kept for slaughter to serve the needs of the staff, as well as both the governor and deputy governor’s official residences, the unit was neither operated nor owned by Chime.
Parts of the statement read, “Our attention has been drawn to media reports credited to the Deputy Governor in which he alleged that Governor Chime owns a poultry and a piggery inside the Government House.
“Much as we would not want to join issues with His Excellency, the Deputy Governor (Onyebuchi), it has become necessary for us to put the records straight.
“The Deputy Governor’s claims that Governor Chime runs a poultry in the Government House is most unfortunate and surprising.
“This is because it is patently untrue and the Deputy Governor knows better.
“The truth is that there is an Agric Unit in the Government House where livestock are held for the use of the Government House.
“It has been in existence since the Government House was built and had served previous administrations in Enugu.
“It is neither commercially operated nor is it owned by the Governor.”
The Chief Press Secretary further explained that the said agric unit was staffed by civil servants, and maintained with public funds, like any other department of the government.
“The unit is manned by civil servants including a veterinary doctor.
“Funds for its maintenance are provided for in the annual budget of the Government,” Achife said.
Noting that “the unit also serves the Deputy Governor,” Achife disclosed that staff of the unit slaughtered a cow at the request of the Deputy Governor on August 4, 2014, when the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Onyebuchi had already commenced.
Continuing, Achife asked, “So, if as the unit as he (Onyebuchi) erroneously claims belongs to the Governor, why should it form part of the state’s annual budgets?
“Why would the Deputy Governor request the unit to slaughter cows for him from its livestock holding?”
The governor’s spokesman further noted that it was important to clarify that the said agric unit is not within the governor’s residential premises “but a unit in the Government House, which has other units like the press unit, drivers unit, among others.”
“The agric unit serves the purpose of holding livestock for periodic slaughter for use by Government House staff, the Governor’s lodge and the Deputy Governor’s lodge.
“It was on the strength of this fact that he (Onyebuchi) requested the staff of the unit to slaughter a cow for him from the unit’s holding on August 4, 2014, and this was done,” Achife said.
Wondering why the deputy governor decided to operate a poultry when he already benefits from the services of the agric unit, Achife stressed that Onyebuchi ran a commercial livestock venture within his official residence, as alleged by members of the state house of assembly in the impeachment notice.
source: nigerianeye
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