The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Chukwudi Achife

  • Strange helicopter lands at Govt House Enugu

    Strange helicopter lands at Govt House Enugu

    A strange helicopter landed yesterday at the Government House, Enugu, triggering off confusion.

    The Government House security, upon sighting it, surrounded the helicopter which landed without notice.

    A statement from the Chief press secretary, Chukwudi Achife said:

    “At about 10.30 am today, a helicopter bearing the markings of Aero Contractors landed without permission at the Governor’s lodge.

    “The mission of the visitors was unknown to the government.

    After preliminary inquiries,the Chief Security Officer to the Governor Mr Fidelis Ogarebe, handed the three occupants of the aircraft -two pilots and one Engineer – over to the State Police Command for further investigations.

    But The Nation enquiries indicated that the helicopter mistakenly landed on the Governor’s Lodge field.

     

    A source hinted that the destination of the helicopter was the nearby State House of Assembly where it supposed to pick the remains of a former member whose valedictory session was taking place.

    The dead member whose name was given as Andrew Umeoji hailed from Anambra state and was a legislator during the Second Republic in the old Anambra state.

    The remains was to be flown in the helicopter to his hometown for burial in Anambra state.

    As at the time of filing this report, the 3 crew men were still in police custody as confirmed by the Enugu state police spokesman, Ebere Amaraizu while the helicopter was still anchoring at the Governor’s Lodge.

    The remains of the former legislator was driven to Anambra state in a motorcade as alternative arrangement.

    Ends

  • One killed as armed men attack Enugu Govt House

    One killed as armed men attack Enugu Govt House

    SECURITY men yesterday foiled an alleged daring attempt by machette–wielding hoodlums to overrun the Government House, Enugu.

    The invaders said to number 50, according to Mr. Chukwudi Achife, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sullivan Chime, struck at about 4.30am.

    They were armed with machetes and cutlasses and pushed to force their way into the Lion Building, the abode of successive heads of government of the old Eastern Region, later East Central State, old Anambra State and now Enugu State.

    Security operatives guarding the complex repelled the hoodlums, Achife said.

    One of the invaders was shot dead and three others arrested.

    A security man was also injured. An eye witness said it would have been bloodier if the hoodlums had carried guns.

    A Government House source said the invasion might not be unconnected with the refusal of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state to deny some politicians who had left for another party to return to the party.

    Achife added that the arrested persons along with some of the weapons recovered (machetes) have since been handed over to the Enugu Police Command for further investigations.

    Police spokesman in Enugu, Ebere Amaraizu said the matter was being investigated.

     

  • Enugu deputy governor decries raid on residence

    Enugu deputy governor decries raid on residence

    Enugu State Deputy Governor Sunday Onyebuchi described yesterday the evacuation of his poultry by officials of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) and the Ministry of Environment, as a wicked act of impunity.

    He said the action was shocking, adding that it was intended to humiliate him.

    Reacting to the evacuation of 3,000 birds from his official residence and the statement by Governor Sullivan Chime’s Press Secretary, Mr. Chukwudi Achife, that the poultry farm constituted a health hazard, Onyebuchi said those behind the act were hiding their motive.

    He said he was surprised that the statement did not mention the alleged violation of the Purpose Clause in the Certificate of Occupancy for the deputy governor’s lodge as claimed in the two letters earlier sent to him from the Office of the Chief of Staff to the Governor.

    “Violation of Purpose Clause, which they claimed was the basis for their action, was not mentioned in the statement.

    “In the two letters on December 24 and 27, which I replied, they mentioned the environmental or health hazard emanating from the poultry farm. In their statement, they claimed they had asked me to clean up the place and I refused. Let them produce a letter asking me to do that. It is not true,” Onyebuchi said.

    He said in his reply, “I told them that the poultry farm was designated Agriculture Unit and I want them to deny that the structure had been used as a poultry farm before I became deputy governor.

    “Let them also deny that I have not operated the poultry farm since 2008. That was why I put in my Assets Declaration at the end of my first term and at the beginning of this term that I have operated the poultry farm and this was verified by the Code of Conduct Bureau. How suddenly my poultry farm became a health hazard when it has been in existence since 2008.

    “Let them also deny that there is no bigger poultry farm, piggery and cattle ranch in the Governor’s Lodge. My poultry farm was properly run and cleaned because it was run with the technical support from the state Ministry of Agriculture.”

    Asking the perpetrators of the act not to justify “an evil and wicked deed by feeding the public with falsehood”, Onyebuchi said: “If they succeed in deceiving the public, they can never deceive God.”

    “As I am talking to you, the over 3,000 chickens confiscated yesterday and their whereabouts are unknown. They also removed bags of feeds and feeders and other materials,” he added.

    Asked of his next action, the deputy governor said: “For now, I am presenting the matter to God, because the person behind it is powerful and my challenging him will be like using a vehicle to collide with a moving train.”

     

  • Rift between Chime, Ekweremadu gets worse

    Rift between Chime, Ekweremadu gets worse

    The rift between Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu has worsened.

    The state government yesterday reacted to the allegation against Governor Chime by a group sympathetic to Ekweremadu.

    The group, Greater Awgu Forum, attacked the governor for allegedly undermining the federal projects attracted to the state by the deputy Senate president and for allegedly endangering his life.

    A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Chukwudi Achife, described the allegations as bewildering and bemusing.

    He said the attack in which the governor was, among other things, accused of waging “an unrelenting war of attrition and unhidden threats” against the deputy Senate president, was unfortunate.

    Achife said the allegations were not only baseless and fallacious, but also smacked of “paranoia and hysteria” on the part of those behind them.

    He noted that contrary to the claims of the group, Governor Chime had ironically, for the past few months, been the one at the receiving end of a sponsored smear campaign in the press via the articles written by shadowy figures.

    He said: “The allegations of Greater Awgu Forum against Governor Chime can only be described as bewildering and bemusing. They are not only baseless and fallacious, the tone in which they were made smacks of desperation, paranoia and hysteria on the part of those behind them.

    “Governor Chime has no time to wage a war against anyone. He is the father of Enugu State and cannot abandon his spirited and universally-acclaimed drive to bring about transformation to the state.

    “He has no time to prosecute such a phantom and an unnecessary cause as being alleged. If anything, he is the one who, for the past few months, weathered a spate of obviously sponsored attacks in the media to continue his unprecedented work. It is obvious that those behind the attacks failed in their bid to create the war they now allege.”

    Achife described as “astonishing and beyond belief”, the allegation by the group that the governor was planning to sabotage the projects attracted by Senator Ekweremadu and challenged the group to mention the projects and show how the governor intended to sabotage them.

    “It is obvious that this is another desperate but futile attempt to distract Governor Chime and drag him into a needless war. But I can assure you that he is focused. None of these things can move him.”