The Governor of Enugu State, Mr.
Sullivan Chime, returned to Nigeria on Thursday after 140 days sojourn
abroad where he reportedly attended to his failing health.
The governor was said to have arrived at
the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, from London in the
early hours of the day.
Chime left the shores of the country
since September 19, 2012, ostensibly on holiday but his prolonged stay
abroad had attracted public angst even as many believed the governor’s
health had failed. The rumour of his death indeed circulated across the
country sometime ago.
There were however, conflicting reports about his whereabouts in the Federal Capital Territory.
While some people said he was at the Enugu State Governor’s Lodge, others said he was at a private residence in Asokoro.
Others also said he was at the Anambra Governor’s Lodge where he was touted to be ready to address a press conference.
However, when our correspondent visited all these addresses, Chime could not be found.
An Enugu-based lawyer, Mr. Ray Nnaji,
said, “I think he is back. A lady who sat on the same aircraft with him
confirmed this to the leader of Save Enugu Group, Maxi Okwu.”
“The General Editor of Tell
magazine, Adekunbi Ero, equally told me that someone close to him also
boarded the same plane, British Airways, that brought Chime into the
country today (Thursday),” Nnaji told our correspondent in Enugu.
Our correspondent sought out the woman
who spoke to Okwu and she said, “I boarded the same flight with the
Enugu State Governor. I sat close to him and even saw him greeting and
chatting with a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain from Imo State.”
“He was looking very frail and
emaciated. As soon as we landed at the airport, he even walked to his
car unaided, but there was a formidable security team waiting for him
and he left with them.”
At the Enugu Governor’s Lodge,
renovation works were ongoing, but some of the workers were not at the
site but a security guard at the gate said he was not aware of the
arrival of the governor.
Another man, who also came briefly to the lodge, directed our correspondent to the Anambra Governor’s Lodge.
However, a source close to the governor
told our correspondent that the governor was at a private residence
within Asokoro and that he would be going to Enugu in a chartered flight
on Friday (today).
Also, a protocol officer at the
Government House in Enugu confided in our correspondent that Chime would
arrive in the state today.
“If there are no hitches, we would leave
Abuja by 2am tomorrow (Friday) and get to Enugu before or by about 7a
m. We are taking this step because we do not want people to besiege the
airport or wait on the streets, all because they want to see the
governor.
“By the time he gets into town, he
would definitely make changes in his cabinet as he has been so unhappy
with the way things were done in his absence. He is so bitter that Enugu
never worked while he was away.”
Meanwhile, the leadership of the Peoples
Democratic Party said it received the news of the return of Chime to
the country with great joy.
The party said in a statement by its
National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, that the party was happy that
the governor returned in good health.
The statement read, “We sincerely thank
all the functionaries of the Enugu State Government and the state PDP
officers for their loyalty and commitment to the ideals of the Party and
the PDP Chime-led administration.
“Furthermore, we thank the good people
of Enugu State and indeed all Nigerians whose prayers ensured the
successful return of the governor.
“We dare say that the love shown to the
governor by all and sundry during his period of absence is a clear
indication that our people appreciate the good work of the governor.
“We are confident that the governor
shall consolidate on the tremendous achievements of his administration
now that he is back to work.”
Also, the Save Enugu Group that sprung up in the wake of Chime’s “disappearance” on Thursday reacted to the governor’s return.
The group in a statement jointly signed
by its convener, Maxi Okwu; Secretary General of the Conference on
Nigerian Political Parties, Willy Ezeugwu; and a former Commissioner for
Information in Enugu State, Igbonekwu Ogazimora, said,“Chime, we
learnt, arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, this
morning and was taken to the city. We note this coming exactly one
month after we first sounded the alarm of prolonged and unexplained
absence.
“We acclaim this as falling within
desired responsive action of leaders in a democracy. If the information
on the unstable and frail condition of the governor is reliable, he
should avoid the pitfall of trying to combine full recovery with the
stress of political power play.
“We wish to state that Chime did not
deserve being hustled out of ‘gainful stay’ in good health institutions
if the right things were done first and before questions arose. In that
respect, we, as other good people of Enugu State stand to hold
responsible the primitive liars in Government House.”
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