* I didn’t commit any impeachable offence —Dep gov

By Tony Edike

ENUGU—Enugu State House of Assembly, yesterday, directed the state Chief Judge, Innocent Umezulike, to appoint a seven-man panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct and disobedience against the deputy governor, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi.

The directive
The directive followed the reply of Onyebuchi to the lawmakers on the various allegations upon which the House members served impeachment notice on him last week.
Section 188 subsection 5 of the 1999 constitution gives the Chief Judge seven days to constitute the committee which shall comprise “persons of unquestionable integrity, not being a legislature or political party member” to investigate the allegations.
Section 7b further gave the members of the committee a window of three months within which to submit report of its findings to the House of Assembly.

‘I’m not guilty’
However, the deputy governor had in his response, told the state lawmakers that he was not guilty of the alleged acts of gross misconduct in the performance of his official functions brought against him and, therefore, committed no impeachable offence whatsoever.

Onyebuchi, who presented an eight-page defence with several attached documents to the House of Assembly on Wednesday, gave a point-by-point explanation to the three charges preferred against him, including the operation of commercial poultry farm in his official residence and for habitually refusing, failing or neglecting to carry out and or perform the functions of his office as directed by the governor pursuant to section 193(1).

Onyebuchi said he was not aware of any resolution of the State Assembly that banned the operation of commercial poultry in residential premises in the state, pointing out that the poultry in his official residence was built by the regime of Michael Okpara in the defunct Eastern regional government.

On the poultry
According top him, the poultry had been operated by several of his predecessors and that it is not different from the one operated by the governor in his own residence.
He described as untrue the allegation that he refused to represent Governor Sullivan Chime at the flag off of the second Niger Bridge in Onitsha by President Goodluck Jonathan, saying he was present at the event from its inception to the end as shown in the live television coverage of the event.

On the third allegation that he turned down the directive to represent Governor Chime at the last meeting of the South East Governor’s meeting held at the Lion Building, Enugu, the deputy governor explained that the governor did not mandate him to act on his behalf while he was away on vacation.

He added that no manifest of the event was made available to him.
Onyebuchi, who noted that he had worked closely with Governor Chime, who at one time described him as “reliable and loyal deputy who understands the working of government” said it was a shame that allegation of disobedience  should be leveled against him few months to the end of their second tenure.

Loyal deputy
“I have over the years remained a loyal deputy, and it is a shame that it is merely a few months to the end of our second tenure that I have had these allegations leveled against me.  I make bold to say that I have always considered the Governor a brother and a friend,” he told the lawmakers.

Onyebuchi said that Nigeria “is a budding democracy with a very bright future. His Excellency, Mr. Sullivan Chime has indeed been a blessing to Enugu State and there is a lot to be thankful to him for. There is no doubt that when two persons work together in the constitutional marriage termed Governor and Deputy Governor, misunderstandings will arise from time to time.  The duty of the Deputy Governor is clear.  It is to take instructions from and carry out the directives of the Governor.”

Details of his defence
On the allegation that he operated a commercial poultry in his official residence contrary to a resolution of the Enugu State House of Assembly passed on 12 February 2013 prohibiting the maintenance and operation of commercial livestock and poultry farms within residential neighborhoods in Enugu metropolis,  Onyebuchi said that “I was never served with any such resolution of the Enugu State House of Assembly nor was any such resolution ever brought to my notice by any official of the Enugu State Government.

“On assumption of office in May 2007, there was an existing official residence for the Deputy Governor of Enugu State.  On inspection of the premises I observed that it had on its grounds an area designated and fenced as an Agricultural Unit, with facilities for amongst other things, a poultry farm.   I commenced operation of a poultry on the premises in 2008 with technical support from ENADEP  and the Commercial Agricultural Programme of the State Ministry of Agriculture.  The said poultry farm was declared in my Asset Declaration and inspected by the Code of Conduct Bureau.

“It is important to state that the structure for the said poultry farm was built by Dizengorf WA Limited during the regime of late Chief M.I. Okpara.  The first occupant of the premises was late Chief Nwodo and he operated a poultry farm there. Subsequent occupants of the premises, up to my immediate predecessor in office, operated poultry farms in the premises.”