ENUGU—Enugu State Commissioner for Information, Chuks Ugwoke, has refuted a recent newspaper report (not Vanguard) which alleged that Governor Sullivan Chime had returned to Enugu from his vacation and was thereafter flown abroad due to ill-health.

It will be recalled that the said newspaper reported last week that the governor had arrived Enugu and only three days ago came out with another report that Chime was again flown back to an Asian country.

In a brief chat with Vanguard yesterday in Enugu, Ugwoke said: “It is, to put it mildly, the most absurd goof I’ve heard in recent times. It was so irresponsible and such a professional recklessness by a reporter who lives with us in this city.

“To be frank, it beats the imagination how such falsehood came about. To put the records straight, Governor Chime is still on his vacation and did not, at any time, return to Enugu as the reporter claimed. And since he did not come back, the issue of being “flown back to an Asian country” and that is quoting the reporter, could not arise. These facts are verifiable.

“It was even worse that the said report was quoting “government sources” as insisting that the governor was still in Enugu. This, to me, sounds like a fairy tale from a children’s book of fiction. Well, I’m making this clarification because of the numerous concerns that the said report generated.”

The commissioner also faulted another claim in the report that the Acting Governor, Sunday Onyebuchi, was restricted to certain approval limit.

According to him, “again, it amounts to deliberate mischief to falsely allege that the Acting governor has any restriction in the discharge of his responsibilities.

“Today, he duly gives necessary approvals and that is why government activities are running at full steam.”