The Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, has been removed from from office by the state’s House of Assembly.
The governor was impeached and subsequently removed from the office in a vote by members of the state legislators Tuesday morning.
The full details of the impeachment and how the lawmakers voted are yet to come in, but the motion appeared to enjoy the support of the overwhelming majority of the legislators who pundits believe wre acting out a script by the state governor Mr Sullivan Chime..
The Assembly accused Mr. Onyebuchi of operating a commercial poultry at his official residence and of disobeying Governor Chime, charges that, under the law, do not qualify as impeachment offences.
A few weeks ago, the House of Assembly had caused the State Chief Judge, Justice Innocent Umezulike, to empanel a seven-man team to investigate the charges contained in the six-page Notice of Impeachment endorsed by the lawmakers.
The panel headed by Mr. Oraekeyi Uche Frankling had the following as members Pastor Uluakanwa Oko, Elder Nnamdi Martin Onyenwuru, Bar. Maxwell Ebele Eze, Mrs. Praise Mercy Anyim, Aroh Okwuchukwu Perfectus and Dr Anthony Iguh Jr.
The lawmakers had earlier passed a resolution asking the Chief Judge to constitute the impeachment panel against the deputy governor following the latter’s reply to the allegations of gross misconduct bothering on abuse of office and disobedience to lawful directive by the governor, Sullivan Chime, levelled against him as contained in the Notice of Impeachment endorsed by 22 out of 24 members of the House on Tuesday July 22, 2014.
Onyebuchi was accused of running an illegal poultry in his official residence at the Government House, and also refusing to represent Governor Sullivan Chime at official functions, despite directives from the governor instructing him to do so.
Justice Umezulike charged the chairman and members of the panel to be thorough and firm.
The impeached deputy governor had told the impeachment panel set up by the state’s chief judge that Mr. Chime also operated a piggery at the Government House.
Giving evidence before the panel last Wednesday, Mr. Onyebuchi said the governor’s poultry was hurriedly evacuated shortly after the panel commenced sitting.
Mr. Onyebuchi revealed that the state government had budgeted for the maintenance of the poultry since 2011.
The embattled deputy governor, who tendered the state’s budget between 2011 and 2014, said funds had always been provided for the poultry he operated.
He insisted that he did not commit any offence that should have warranted his impeachment and that the poultry farms he and the governor operated were there before they assumed office in 2007.
THE RAINBOW
