Enugu PDP Crisis: Chime, Ekweremadu Reach Truce As council boss faces impeachment Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu For the second time within two weeks, the gladiators in the lingering crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State may have reached a truce ahead of the commencement of party’s primary election for the House of Assembly aspirants. THISDAY checks revealed that Governor Sullivan Chime and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, had met with President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday evening with the sole intention of finally resolving their differences. This came as 16 out of the 20 councillors of the Igbo-Eze North Council in the state on Tuesday unanimously voted to serve an impeachment notice on the chairman of the council, Bonaventure Onuh, over alleged “misappropriation and embezzlement of local government funds” within this year totalling N1,751,2291,339. Onuh is a close ally of Senator Ayogu Eze who is also contesting the governorship ticket of the PDP against the party’s decision which endorsed Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as a consensus candidate. It was gathered that among the top Enugu stakeholders that featured in the closed-door meeting included the former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, Minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo and Chief Allison Madueke, the husband of the Minister of Peteroleum Resources, Diezani. After reviewing the main issues in the crisis, the president was said to have informed the Enugu stakeholders of the need to resolve their differences in the interest of the party and the state. Sources close to the meeting informed THISDAY that the issues were eventually resolved as the duo of Chime and Ekweremadu agreed to work together with each reportedly resolving to make sacrifices in the interest of the state. Though further details were not revealed, it was gathered that by the time the information would be communicated to party members in the state, it would go a long way in calming frayed nerves in the state and equally end the increasing speculations that there were plans by the governor and his team to dump the PDP for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). On the crisis in Igboeze North, it was gathered that the development might not be unconnected with Ayogu’s decision to seek the governorship ticket. The councillors had last week impeached the leader of the legislative arm of the council, Hon. Kenneth Odo, said to be an ally of the chairman, accusing him of conniving with the now embattled chairman to scuttle the sitting of the council for four consecutive times without any reason. In a seven-page impeachment notice raised by the councillors yesterday and addressed to the Secretary to the Igbo-Eze North local government council for service on Onuh, the councillors clarified that “ this action is backed up with signatures of 16 out of 20 legislators and is taken pursuant to Section 14 of Local Government Law, Cap 109, Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004.” The councillors mandated the secretary to the local government to perform his duties as stipulated by Section 14(2) (b) and 14(4) of the Local Government Law by serving the notice of impeachment on the chairman of the council and also informing the chief judge of Enugu State to appoint a seven-man to investigate the allegations contained in the notice as well as inform the governor of Enugu state in writing of this impeachment proceedings.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 22:05:59 +0000
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