The Enugu Professionals Forum (EPF) has described  recent comments credited to the embattled Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi in response to charges leveled against him by the State House of Assembly as premature and designed to whip  undeserved sentiments.

Onyebuchi had, Thursday, while briefing newsmen shortly after appearing before the seven-man judicial panel looking into the charges claimed that he was being persecuted and hinted  that both the panel and the House of Assembly and democracy were on trial in the state.

However, in a statement signed by its secretary-general, Nebechi Ugo, the group said the Deputy Governor should present his defence to the charges to the panel, adding that his public comments on a matter that was still before the panel was contemptuous and designed to cast doubts on the integrity of the members.

The EPL said that Onyebuchi was employing “an archaic and well-worn tactic” of trying  to whip up sentiments instead of addressing the unambiguous charges levelled against him.

“If the Deputy Governor says that he has some truth to tell about the charges against him, let him address it to the panel. His resort to making public comments and reaching conclusions about a matter that is currently being tried by a properly constituted judicial panel is clearly an attempt to undermine the panel’s integrity and smacks of high mischief and desperation”, the group said.