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Nigeria: Opponent Knocks Gov Chime Over N6.2 Billion Loan
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Leadership (Abuja)
4 May 2008
Posted to the web 5 May 2008
Nnamdi Mbawike
The travails of Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, since his election was annulled, may have assumed a new ugly dimension following his alleged involvement in a N6.2 Billion loan scandal.
Gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party in the April 2007 elections in the state, Chief Okey Ezea, who made the disclosure while speaking with newsmen in Enugu recently, alleged that the administration of Governor Chime in the state, allegedly borrowed a whopping sum of N6.2 Billion without approval from the House of Assembly in the state. According to him, out of the N6.2 Billion loan, the state government borrowed N1.2 Billion on behalf of the local Government councils without approval from the House of Assembly.
Ezea further alleged that there was nothing on ground to show that the Chime-led administration collected a whopping sum of N35.67 billion within 8 months. His words:" Is it performance in terms of accountability? Is it performance when within 8 months they collected N35.67 billion and there is nothing on ground to show for it? And you still call it performance? Is it performance that they went and borrowed N5 billion without approval from the House of Assembly? Is it performance when they went to borrow N1.2 billion on behalf of the local government without approval from anywhere? It is the legislature that approves such loans before the executive takes them? In fact, these are impeachable offences and you call it performance!
" I have asked them questions: I said what have you done with N35.67 billion in 8 months? Nobody has answered that question. They went about saying that Okey Ezea makes frivolous allegations. But for goodness sake, answer the question! Did you receive N35.67 billion in 8 months? Yes or no. Did you take a loan of N5 billion, Yes or No? Did you take a loan of N1.2 billion for local government council? Yes or no! What did you do with the money?"
Following the allegations, Leadership Sunday gathered that some members of the State House of Assembly loyal to former Governor Chimaraoke Nnamani have allegedly concluded plans to initiate impeachment moves against the incumbent governor. A source told Leadership Sunday that series of meetings have been going on in the Agbani residence of Governor Chime's estranged godfather, Nnamani, to actualize the impeachment moves. When contacted by Leadership Sunday, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information in the state, Marcel Njeze, dismissed the allegations.
His words:" There is nothing like impeachment. It is not true that the House wants to impeach the governor. It is the thinking of some disgruntled people. I'm not aware of the allegation that the governor borrowed money. There is nothing like that. If there is anything like that, it has not been reported to the House"
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Also reacting, the commissioner of information in the state, Mr Chuks Ugwoke, described the allegations as false and untrue. "Our own reaction is that Enugu State government did not take any loan to construct or rehabilitate roads neither did it take money from the local government. It is the handiwork of disgruntled elements and detractors," he said.
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