PROFILE OF THE GOVERNOR Sullivan Iheanacho Chime hails from Udi, in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. Born on April 10, 1959 to the family of First Republic Parliamentarian and Traditional Ruler of Udi, Igwe Elias Aneke Chime and Theresa Ekpeluchi Chime, Sullivan started his early life in Enugu. He attended the College of Immaculate Conception C. I. C. Enugu from 1971 – 1976 from where he proceeded to the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus to study law.Graduating in 1980 he proceeded to the Nigeria Law School, Lagos, where he finished with a B. L. Second Class, Upper Division and was called to Bar. on July 10, 1981. His primary assignment in the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC programme took him to the Legal aid Council and this was the beginning of a fulfilling and robust legal practice in Enugu which also took him all over Nigeria. When Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999, Chime was appointed Special Adviser, Legal Matters to then Governor of Enugu State, Dr Chimaroke Nnamani. As Adviser, he distinguished himself so creditably that he was elevated to the position of Honourable Attorney general and Commissioner for Justice Enugu State, in December, 2001. Sullivan Iheanacho Chime, true to type, comfortably fitted into his new role as Chief Law Officer of Enugu State and decisively undertook the giant task of reforming the justice system. One of the landmark achievements of Chime as Attorney General was the establishment and commissioning of Enugu Citizens Right and Mediation Centre, geared towards conflict resolution and arbitration. In concert with the Department for International development, DFID he articulated the Access to Justice, A2J also known as Justice Social Reforms. Governor Chime as Attorney General was key to the production of the highly acclaimed laws of Enugu State and the completion of the new Judiciary Headquarters Complex which brought relief to the accommodation problems of the Enugu State Judiciary. In 2007 after emerging as the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Enugu State, he won the April Governorship Election and was sworn in as Governor of Enugu State on May 29, 2007. Since assumption of office in May 29, 2007, Sullivan Iheanacho Chime has embarked on the rebranding, reclaiming, recreating, restoring and renewal of Enugu State, through a massive and aggressive focus on infrastructural, human resource development and security of lives and property. Chime also invested in statewide security. He has donated hundreds of vehicles and ulta modren communication equipment to the Police and other security agencies in the state, In the second quarter of 2013, he donated 100 units each of Kia Rio and Hilux vans equipped with communication gadgets to the Enugu State Police Command for urban and rural policing respectively (despite this being a Federal Government concern). Enugu State was, under his administration, declared to have the least crime rate, and one of the safest places in Nigeria. Since coming to office, Governor Chime has invested heavily in road rehabilitation and re-construction, culminating in the construction of over 346 kilometers of urban roads in Enugu and Nsukka. Today, Enugu the Coal City is wearing an impressive new look as virtually all the dual carriageways including the popular Ogui Road, Abakiliki Road, Okpara Avenue, Presidential Road, Bissala Road, Airport Road, Okpara Square roads and others were re-designed and re-constructed with drainages, concrete-paved pedestrian sidewalks and functional street and traffick lights. He has awarded over N18 billion contracts for the construction of rural roads of which over 251 kilometers had been completed as part of a fresh initiative to link the State capital with most of the local government headquarters in Enugu State Still in the transport sector, the Sullivan Chime administration is pursuing a public transportation programme designed to ease mass transit within Enugu and Nsukka. An innovation in this regard is the Coal City Cabs scheme, under which 50 luxury buses and 700 brand new air-conditioned cars were purchased and deployed to the streets under a subsidized high-purchase arrangement that has eased mass transit and also provided jobs to hundreds of youths. Governor Chime has also embarked on a massive programme of provision of street lights in all the dual carriageways and major streets in Enugu metropolis, traffic lights at strategic junctions just as directional signages have been erected at every street entrance in the city. Education is another area where His Excellency, Sullivan Chime has made a lot of impact. On taking over the mantle of leadership he made the first nine years of education free. Currently, there is free education at Primary and Junior Secondary levels. Also, all manners of levies and dues have been outlawed in Enugu State. He also injected funds into the State’s tertiary institutions especially Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) and ESUT College of Medicine. Consequent on this financial intervention virtually all the courses offered by these institutions are today accredited and the college has recently graduated its first set of Medical Doctors after more than five years of delay. Since the inception of his administration in 2007, Education has been free for all children in the state up to the JSS 3 level while fees for the Senior Secondary level have been pegged at only N1,000. In the same direction, Chime brought smiles to the faces of millions of residents and indigenes of Enugu State with the introduction and implementation of free medical services for pregnant women and children below five years. This development has led to a sharp drop in maternal and infant mortality in Enugu state and has brought accolades to the government. Under Governor Chime, the agricultural sector has witnessed a total turnaround. In his bid to mechanize agriculture and boost food production in the state, he distributed sixty seven (67) tractors to farmers in the state, established a new tractor assembly plant to make tractors affordable to farmers, and also contributed over One billion Naira as counterpart fund to enable farmers in the state benefit from many agricultural programmes funded by the federal government and international agencies. To produce middle-level manpower in the sector, Governor Chime established State College of Agriculture and Agro-Entrepreneurship which took off in September 2009. Also, Governor Chime’s administration has trained over 300 youths from the state under the USAID market project as well as at the Songhai Regional Centre in Benin Republic to become the drivers of the State Mechanized and Commercial Farm Project targeted at producing twenty one rural green cities in Enugu State by 2012. Perhaps one of the high points of the Chime administration is the industrial peace that has existed between the Government and Labour Organizations. This, the governor achieved through his worker-friendly policies. This readiness to partner with the working people has seen the recall of thousands of workers disengaged by the previous government, the increase in workers’ salaries, the diligent payment of monthly salaries on the 25th of every month, the settlement of arrears of allowances and other entitlements and the prompt implementation of the new N18,000 Minimum wage law. With the same zeal, Governor Chime confronted the problem of waste disposal in the urban centres of the state. Enugu State waste Management Authority (ESWAMA) in the government’s effort towards urban renewal, have been provided with 15 Waste Compactors and 1,000 dumpsters. The state has recently purchased another 1000 dumpsters and sweepers.This development has not only made Enugu wear a new and enviable look but has also provided job opportunities for over a thousand people. Governor Sullivan Chime has also made a huge impact in the housing sector. Since the inception of the Chime administration many housing units of different sizes have been completed with others still under construction. Of particular note is the Coal City Gardens Housing Estate, with about 100 housing units of 4 and 5 bedroom duplexes completed within the first one year. The Maryland Estate comprising 324 units of 2 bedroom flats for middle level income earners is at advanced stage of completion while the Lake View Estate at Sun City Layout (239 units) is being executed under a Public Private Partnership (PPP). Also, massive infrastructural development (roads, drainages and streetlights) have been completed at the Ekulu East Estate (Zoological Gardens), while work is on-going Liberty Estate, the RCC Estate, the CBN Estate and the Mechanic Village at Akegbe-Ugwu. The Governor has taken his drive for the renewal of all institutions of government to areas hitherto forgotten for years. A recent example is the provision of 10 fire fighting vehicles, 5 Toyota Hilux trucks and one water tanker, for the operational efficiency of the Enugu State Fire Service which was hitherto incapacitated by lack of basic tools to respond meaningfully to any fire outbreak or emergencies in the State. All these epic efforts have not escaped the attention of foreign and local investors who are rushing to establish their various ventures in Enugu. Today, two of the world’s largest retail chains, Shoprite and Game have outlets in Enugu just as the hospitality industry is bustling with the establishment of scores of new fives star hotels and resorts. For the first time in many years the people of Enugu State are witnessing true development in the rural areas through the guidance and visionary leadership of Mr. Chime. This outstanding lawyer and administrator has received several awards in the area of law, security, housing, rural development and good governance. Some of these include Honorary Doctorate Degrees from the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Federal University of Technology, Owerri and the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu He is married to Her Excellency, Clara Chime and is blessed with five children.
Posted on: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 15:11:08 +0000
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