Enugu leaders, Speaker disagree over Chime’s health, absence

THERE may be no end yet to the controversy trailing the long absence of the ailing Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime as the Save Enugu Group has asked the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Eugene Odo, to make available to it within seven days a certified true copy of the letter transmitted to him by Chime before proceeding on vacation.
Meanwhile, for being able to maintain stability in the states despite long absence of their governors due to ailment, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commended the leadership of the party in Enugu and Taraba states.
The Save Enugu Group threatened to sue him should he fails to produce to the group the said letter within the specified time frame.
But in a swift reaction, Odo said that though the document was a public one, it would however not be made available to the said group whom he said was not “a legal personality”.
He said, “Certified True Copy documents are only made available to individuals who identify themselves properly or associations known to law. Save Enugu Group is not known to law. We have made our search to discover that the Save Enugu Group is not a legal personality. It is not registered with Corporate Affairs Commission. So on what basis should they be making such demand. But if her members can come individually and apply, we will make the document available but to the group, we will not because you cannot sue them”.
Odo said he has not received any such demand from the group or any individual in the state.
In the letter to the Speaker dated January 28 and signed by the group’s co-ordinator, Maxi Okwu, he stated that releasing the letter would enable the group ascertain the authenticity of his claim that Chime actually transmitted a letter and its contents.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement yesterday said the fact that government activities have not been grounded in those states showed that that PDP governments have direction and focus in line with its manifesto to ensure the welfare of the people at all times.
“We want to commend our party leadership and government officials in Enugu and Taraba states; the acting governors, the Speakers of the Houses of Assembly and other state caucus members and government appointees in these states for holding forth in the absence of Governors Chime and Suntai, who are out of the country for medical attention.