Gov. Sullivan Chime

Francis Ugwoke

As the controversy on the absence of  Governor Sullivan Chime  from Enugu State  for over three months rages, the Speaker of the State Assembly, Hon.  Eugene Odo, has described  the action of  members of the opposition as uncalled for and clearly  mischievous.

Odo who spoke to THISDAY on phone maintained that as far as he was concerned, members of the opposition, who have been calling  on the National Assembly to  take-over the  State Assembly  on the allegations that  the legislators failed to act on the absence of the governor, were simply entertaining themselves.

“As far as I am concerned, the opposition is entertaining themselves on the issue,” he said, explaining that the governor observed constitutional provisions  before he travelled out of the country.

He  said that the governor  had in a letter  transmitted to the State Assembly   empowered his deputy,  Mr Sunday Onyebuchi,   to act as governor for the period that he will be away.
Odo added that the governor  will equally, on coming  back , transmit another letter  to the State Assembly  taking over  his office formally  from the acting governor  without  which he will  be an ordinary citizen.

He said that what the governor did  was what the Constitution requires,  adding that members of the opposition who have been lamenting over his absence  failed to understand this.
Odo also said that,  so far, there is nothing to show that the  acting governor, Onyebuchi, has not performed  the role bestowed on him.

Members of the opposition  have been worried in recent time over the absence of the  governor, demanding that the state government should give information about  his continued absence and  his health condition.  In a letter    jointly signed by Chief Maxi Okwu, Igbonekwu Ogazimora, Chief Willy Ezugwu, Mr. Ibuchukwu Ezike, Mr. Victor Eneh and Mr. Ray Nnaji,  the opposition  last week was reported to have given   the acting governor  up  till a fortnight to yield to their demands, saying  his absence has led to rumour  mongering  and gossiping.
The group had urged the acting governor to constitute a delegation of prominent leaders of Enugu to visit Chime  outside the country.

Some members of the opposition had also called on the National Assembly to  intervene and take over the State Assembly on the allegation that the legislators have failed to  take action on the prolonged absence of  Governor Chime.

However, the  Chairman of People’s Democratic Party ( PDP)  in Enugu, Chief Vita Abba, had apparently  in reaction to the opposition  appealed  to the people of the state to” exercise patience and not allow themselves to be drawn into the controversy”.

Abba  assured  that very soon the Governor will be back to the state, adding that the state Acting Governor has been doing his best to  give the people of the state the much expected dividends of  democracy.