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Tag: Sullivan Chime

  • Former Enugu governor, Chime confirms dumping PDP

    Former Enugu governor, Chime confirms dumping PDP

    A former Governor of Enugu State, Mr Sullivan Chime, has confirmed that he has left the PDP.

    Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Enugu, Chime said that his decision to quit the PDP was because the party was “no longer in existence in the true sense of it’’.

    Chime said, however, that he had yet to join another political party, contrary to speculations that he had defected to the APC.

    He said that he was still making consultations to determine the political party to join, pointing out that his decision to dump PDP had nothing to do with his corruption case with the EFCC.

    “The PDP, we used to be members of is dead. The party I joined in 1999 and had the opportunity of leading in the state for eight years is no longer in existence.

    “We have two groups claiming to be in charge of the party as chairman. These two, none of them can actually lay claim to the chairmanship of the party.

    “There is no provision in PDP’s Constitution for interim caretaker committee led by Sen. Ahmed Maikarfi.

    “The PDP convention has no power to set up a caretaker committee and did not seek to amend the party’s constitution,” he stated.

    The former governor explained that Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff on his own was brought in to serve out the tenure of former PDP National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, adding that the tenure had long elapsed.

    Chime said that remaining in the PDP would be a deceit, advising his supporters to look for a better platform to actualise their political aspirations.

    He said that he could not explain why INEC had not deregistered the PDP.

    “It is surprising or maybe INEC has not deregistered the PDP because the organisation is no longer working in tandem with the constitution that created it.

    “The PDP as originally formed has been cremated and no serious-minded politician will remain in it.

    “If those still remaining feel strongly about coming together they can come back, secure deregistration of the party and then form another party.”

    Chime said that the founding fathers of the party lost it in 2014, when the PDP deviated from its norms.

    He said that he had not become a registered member of any political party but that he would certainly join a political party that would take the interest of his people at heart.

    “I will not join a party without making it public. I cannot join through the back door,” he asserted.

    Chime said that it was obvious that the real founding fathers of the PDP had left, noting that no one would play active politics and succeed in the party.

    Some notable politicians in Enugu State, including a former Senate President, Chief Ken Nnamani and Chief Jim Nwobodo, a former senator had since dumped the PDP for the ruling APC.  (NAN)

  • Enugu House denies giving impeachment notice to Chime

    Enugu House denies giving impeachment notice to Chime

    The Enugu State House of Assembly on Wednesday denied the existence of impeachment notice against Governor Sullivan Chime.

    The lawmakers’ position was contained in a letter signed by the Clerk of the House, Mr. Christpher Chukwurah, declaring that the House didn’t move impeachment motion against the governor.

    The letter comes on the heels of a similar denial by 15 lawmakers who had reportedly passed a resolution to commence impeachment proceedings against the governor.

    They had denied the existence of an impeachment notice at Tuesday’s peace meeting brokered between the warring factions of the House by the governor-elect, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

    The lawmakers said they never signed any notice to that effect.

    “During our meeting with Governor elect, he asked for a copy of the notice impeachment against the governor and everyone denied having signed any of such document,” one of the lawmakers told journalists.

    The two factions also agreed to maintain a two-week moratorium to seek a resolution of issues between them.

  • Enugu lawmakers demanded for public money – Chime

    Enugu lawmakers demanded for public money – Chime

    Enugu State Governor, Sullivan Chime, has dismissed the impeachment threat by some members of the state House of Assembly, describing such legislators as frustrated characters.

    Chime told journalists in Enugu that the bottom line of the so-called impeachment threat was money, which he was not ready to give them.

    The governor, who did not exhibit any worry, said the legislators knew very well that they cannot impeach him because it was apparent to them that time was not on their side and they could not form a two- third majority to do that.

    He said the lawmakers had only succeeded in making themselves a laughing stock by embarking on a journey that was impossible.

    “I know, and they too know, that what they are doing will not see the light of the day but I want my defence to see the light of the day,” the governor said..

    Chime, who persistently insisted that the remote issue was money, said he refused to give them public funds which he could not account for, hence they resorted to arm twisting which he also resisted.

    He said: “They felt the administration was coming to an end and it is time for them to make money. They came shamelessly and said that I should give them money.

    “They thought I was asking for the N11billion loan as a parting gift. This nonsense started when they could not get me to give them money outside their allowance.

    “I won’t give them any money because I can’t account for it. It is public money. And I have no regrets for what I am doing.”

     

  • Enugu House splits, faction begins Chime’s impeachment proceedings

    Enugu House splits, faction begins Chime’s impeachment proceedings

    Enugu State House of Assembly was sharply polarised on Monday with two factions – one supporting Governor Sullivan Chime and the other against him, emerging.

    The anti-Chime group led by the Speaker, Eugene Odoh were in majority – with 14 members, while the other group led by the deputy speaker, Chime Oji,  had ‎nine.

    The two groups sat in the early hours of Monday with the anti-Chime group sitting at exactly 6:20am and finished their business in less than 30 minutes.

    The other group took their turn at 7:05am and ended by 7:50am.

    In their brief sitting, the anti-Chime group led commenced the impeachment process against the governor. He was accused of forging the N12 billion 2012 Supplementary Budget.

    The impeachment notice was signed by 14 members of the House including the speaker.

    The Clerk of the House, Christopher Chukwurah, who was absent at the sitting, was directed to serve the notice on the governor immediately.

    The Deputy Speaker who was recently elected to represent Enugu North/South Federal Constituency, Hon. Emeka  Ogbuabor and Deputy House Leader,  John Kevin Ukwuta were suspended at the sitting for alleged anti-House activities

    The speaker and the 13 other members found their way into the legislative chamber at 6:20 am and forcefully held the sitting after the police had prevented them from gaining entry into the House.

    The lawmakers had complained that the governor was using some members of the House to disrupt activities of the Assembly for refusing to approve the N11 billion loan requested by the governor.

     

  • APC wants Chime to account for N544b allocation

    The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State, Barr. Okey Ezea, has accused the Sullivan Chime led government in the state of wasting the over N544 billion it collected from the federation’s account between 2007 and 2014.

    Ezea told The Nation in Abuja that despite the huge resources collected by the government, the state does not look like where such kind of money has been spent, saying nobody is giving account of the money.

    He said that an APC- led government in the state will apply discipline and accountability in spending government resources, pointing out that the money the government collected from the federation’s account is not meant for them to buy cars and choice estates around the world.

    He said the mission of the APC in the state “is summarized in the quest for wealth creation and poverty alleviation,” adding that “APC is out to create wealth in Enugu State and alleviate poverty.

    “Anything we are doing that is not tailored towards this objective is outside our mandate.

    “In achieving this, agriculture will be a priority area of governance. Enugu State is an agrarian society with 60 percent of the people are farmers. Once you address their problem, you have addressed the essence of governance.

    “Once you make them happy, government has performed. Most of these farmers don’t use these resurfaced roads and don’t even come to Enugu, even though the roads are also important. We are going to give these farmers the implements in other to make farming an enjoyable venture.

    “We are going to have extension workers and clear large portion of land through Mechanised means and parcel these lands out to young farmers. We will get the graduates interested in farming and have their own parcel of farmland and when they produce, the government will buy the produce from them and create income for them immediately,” the governorship aspirant stated.

     

  • Chime gets kudos for senatorial choice

    Chime gets kudos for senatorial choice

    A group, the Nsukka Welfare Association, United Kingdom (UK), has praised Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime on what it called his “consistency in delivering gains of democracy to the state.”

    Its President, David Anie Okoro, said the governor demonstrated it again by backing “a great and humble leader” Mr. Chukwuka Utazi, as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Enugu North Senatorial Zone.

    Okoro, in a statement, said: “Utazi will be used by God to lead our senatorial zone into greater developments in all areas. We wish him God’s grace and protection as he builds an Enugu North that will serve and last.

    “Utazi has achieved greatness. He did not stumble into greatness and the reason he has the mandate is because the party under the leadership of Chime has seen in Utazi, a leader, who loves his people and will do all that is required to ensure that Nsukka senatorial zone maximises its potential.”

  • Chime makes U-turn on senate ambition

    Chime makes U-turn on senate ambition

     

    ENUGU State Governor, Sullivan Chime, is not giving up on his senate ambition, sources have informed. The governor, who has been in a running battle with the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, over the control of party structures in the state, had allegedly jettisoned his ambition to represent Enugu West zone in the senate in line with an agreement reached with the Ekweremadu camp, who have taken control of the state PDP.

    But just a few weeks after this truce was reached, sources revealed that the governor has made a U-turn and has vowed to contest the senate seat currently occupied by Ekweremadu.

  • Chime mourns Nwobodo’s son

    Chime mourns Nwobodo’s son

    Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State has expressed shock

    on the death of Dr Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, first son of the first civilian Governor of old Anambra State, Chief  Jim Nwobodo.

    The governor, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary,

    Chukwudi Achife, described the development as painful, sad and tragic.

    He described the late Nwobodo as vibrant and hard-working, regretting that he died in the prime of his youth.

    Chime conveyed his condolences to the deceased’s father, Chief

    Nwobodo and his family, urging them to be consoled that he lived well and impacted positively on his environment.

    The late Nwobodo  was a former commissioner for Youth and Sports Development in Enugu State.

     

  • Enugu monarchs endorse Chime for Senate

    Enugu monarchs endorse Chime for Senate

    Monarchs in Enugu State have supported Governor Sullivan Chime’s senatorial ambition.

    They cited his leadership qualities and achievements as reasons.

    Chime is from Enugu West, the senatorial zone of Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who is seeking re-election.

    The traditional rulers’ position was part of a nine-point communiqué issued yesterday at the end of the quarterly meeting of the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers. It was signed by the Chairman, Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu.

    The royal fathers said they noted with “delight the unparalleled, amazing and spectacular quantum leap to modernity, which urban and rural areas have experienced in the last seven years and three months under Governor Chime.”

    They hailed him for “not being boastful of his achievements, for not wasting the resources of the state in advertising his achievements and for his efforts in entrenching a culture of investing the funds of the state in its development.”

    “As members of the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, we are prepared to support Governor Chime if he seeks elective office next year because of his leadership qualities,” the monarchs added.

    The council hoped that the “next governor will emulate Chime in the prudent management of the state’s resources to ensure continued development and discipline in government.”

    The traditional rulers urged politicians to put the interest of the state and country above their interests for peaceful primaries and general elections.

    They decried the high cost of wedding and the activities of Fulani cattle grazers, who, according to them, “destroy crops, harass farm owners and rape.”

  • ‘Awgu never adopted Chime’

    ‘Awgu never adopted Chime’

    The Awgu people of Enugu State have said they did not endorse Governor Sullivan Chime for next year’s senatorial election, as reported by a national daily.

    A statement yesterday in Enugu by the President of Ugwulesi Autonomous Community Town Union in Awgu town, Dr. Dominic Ogbu, said those who visited Chime were “self-appointed political jobbers representing no community from Awgu; hence neither represented the views of their villages, let alone those of Awgu people”.

    It added: “There are three autonomous communities in Awgu town and Chief Stephen Onuoha is not a traditional prime minister to any of the three traditional rulers in Awgu and could not be representing any autonomous community in Awgu town since he has no mandate to act in that capacity.

    “Although we understand the quest for endorsement to be Governor Chime’s desperate reaction to the rising agitation by our people against the age-long marginalisation of Awgu in the political equation of the state, it would be illogical and foolhardy for anyone to believe that we would ever abandon the worthy cause by supporting the senatorial ambition of a governor who has not only sustained the injustice against our people but has consistently taken conscious steps to worsen our lots within the Enugu commonwealth.

    “We, therefore, advise the governor to immediately ask for a refund from his handlers and those political contractors who sold him a false endorsement because they have played a fast one on him.”

    Ogbu stressed that the Awgu were “unshaken in their resolve to ensure that the Senate Deputy President Ike Ekweremadu returns for Enugu West in 2015 because he has acquitted himself most excellently in this position, bringing about quality representation and rural transformation”.

    “We, therefore, further advice Governor Chime and his vain-chasers to count Awgu people out of his desperate quest for an endorsement.”