Governor Chime of Enugu State ssaid Tuesday that the of impeachment threat against him by the state Assembly does not hold water since the state’s House of the Assembly did not follow constitutional procedures.
According to the governor, the constitution requires two-thirds of the members to do so but that they did not meet the number.
The state has 24 members in the Assembly and only 14 members, including the speaker, met to commence the impeachment proceedings.
He said the speaker should get at least 16 members of the House to investigate the allegations against him.
“As I am talking to you now, nobody has served me with any notice of any impeachment,” he said.
Chime dismissed allegations of financial misconduct lecelled against him, saying tha since assumption of office in 2007, the accounts of the government had been audited and published annually till 2014.
The governor said the audited accounts and budgets were given to the assembly and interested members of the public.
He said that the allegation of forgery of 2012 supplementary budget was a rude shock as he only reallocated funds through virement.
Chime explained that the Assembly authorised the government to obtain the loan of N11 billion in November 2014 through its resolution, which was communicated to him.
“Their resolution dated November 13, 2014 authorised the state government to obtain loans of N1 billion and N10 billion from UBA to refinance facilities at the GTB and for infrastructural projects in the state,” he said.
On concession of the water corporation, the governor said the government only engaged a company, AG Gold, to help in water infrastructure after previous attempts by three companies failed.
Chime explained that everything concerning water was in the law, adding that the government had not gone contrary to the law.
He alleged that the aggrieved legislators asked for financial inducements, which he refused to oblige.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the state Assembly has been factionalised, resulting to the planned impeachment of the governor and the Speaker, Eugene Odo.
