The Enugu state Deputy Governor, Mr Sunday Onyebuchi on Wednesday returned to face the impeachment panel trying him on alleged gross misconduct.
He insisted that Governor Sullivan Chime also operated poultry and piggery farms at the government house, at the ongoing panel investigating allegations of impeachment against him
At the resumed hearing of the 7-man panel headed by Mr Uche Franklyn Oraekeiyi, the deputy governor who made the revelations and provided copies of state government budgets for 2011 – 2014 to back his claims further told the panel that several millions of naira allocated for the maintenance of the farms by the government was also released.
Explaining that he had not committed any offence that could warrant his removal from government by impeachment, he said that the poultry at his official residence and that of the governor were in existence before they came into government in 2007.
The House of Assembly had on July 22 commenced impeachment proceedings against him for allegedly operating a poultry farm at his official residence, flagrant disobedience to directives of the governor including refusal to represent him at the flag off of second Niger bridge by President Goodluck Jonathan at Onitsha in March and refusal to represent the governor at the July 6th meeting of South east governors held in Enugu.
Speaking to reporters shortly after the panel rose, Onyebuchi, who returned to the panel on Wednesday after he slumped, last week while testifying, denied the allegations against him and provided evidences to buttress his claims.
He said: “I have always said that this is a straight forward matter.
One is the allegation of operating a poultry farm. We have been able to put the message across that the House of Assembly resolution is not a law and the resolution was not made available to me.
We were able to make the point that there is also poultry at government house and while the poultry at the government house was evacuated with the commencement of the panel proceedings.
Today, I was able to present to the panel, other evidence to show that there was poultry at the government house.
“I got copies of the Enugu State government budget for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 and in each of these budgets, you have
evidence of the allocation for government house poultry and piggery and amount attached to it and I was also able to prove that the amount was released. If they said there was no poultry, then let’s know why we have all these provisions all these years”.
On the allegation that he did not represent the governor at the flag off of the second Niger Bridge, and the Southeast Onyebuchi, said that he was never communicated in person or telephone or by any other means to represent the governor during his vacation at the South east governor’s meeting.
And at the second Niger Bridge he was there.
I believe the ball is in the court of the panel. It is for them to decide whether to stand on the side of truth, on the side of
justice which most citizens of Enugu state are asking for.If they believe like most people say that might is right, whoever has power is right, we will see by the end of the day. I have not committed offence that will justify being removed by impeachment. I started
working with the governor in 2007 and if I was not obedient to him, I don’t think he will nominate me again for the second term to run with him for another four years.
“Even when he was away on vacation in 2012 and 2013, I believe I represented him very well such that the letter he wrote to the House of Assembly when he came back, he commended me. I also received commendation from so many people; I also received commendation from the members of the state executive as well as members of the House of Assembly.
I am hopeful that truth will triumph. Like I said earlier, this is a panel of human beings and human beings are fallible and I am not afraid of any outcome; but what will encourage me to push forward besides the prayers and encouragement I have been receiving from the
people of the state is the knowledge that I have right of appeal to a panel up there in heaven, that while we have a Supreme Court here, we have a Supreme –Supreme court where if I am a Christian and if God does not impeach me, I would have been a winner.
I would be losing if I am impeached by God. So I am prepared for the outcome, especially given the massive outpour of prayers, support of majority of people of Enugu state, I feel good”, he said. Recalling what happened the day he collapsed, Onyebuchi said he had actually been sick and had taken his drugs before coming to the court that morning, adding that midway into his evidence, he started feeling dizzy and demanded for water.
