…Tackles Ekweremadu on bad governance comments

From: Chidi Nnadi, Enugu

Former governor of Enugu State, Mr. Sullivan Chime, who recently declared that he had quit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has announced his decision to formally join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He claims he would formally join the rulling party, Saturday, this week.

Chime, who became governor on the platform of the PDP and ran two terms of eight years said that he left the PDP because the party is dead.

The former governor, who stated this at a press conference held at his Bissilla Road, Enugu residence, on Tuesday night, disclosed that he joined the PDP in 1999, saying that today the party has been run down so badly that it no longer exists.

“The party (PDP) was mismanaged; it abandoned its constitution. All the rules that guided all of us until the party came to where it is today – dead,” he said.

Chime noted that the PDP now has two of its chieftains laying claim to the chairmanship of the party, which technically meant that it has no leadership and, therefore, is not functional.

Chime disclosed that he has made all necessary consultations with the APC party hierarchy in Enugu State, saying that the members are excited that he is coming to join them just as he is excited to join them.

He said that he chose to join the APC because it is the only national party that is capable now to take any active politician to his destination.

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“I don’t think there is any serious politician that is still in the PDP. Don’t be surprised the PDP will not have a candidate in the Anambra election this year. Anambra State will be used to teach this lesson. In 2019, if things continue this way, APC will win the governorship election in Enugu State, but I will not tell you who the candidate will be,” he said.

The former governor was angry that as he announced his exit from the PDP, some politicians in the state started attacking him, branding him a failure while he held sway as governor.

He said that those who are attacking him now are thinking that he would run for the Enugu West Senatorial seat in 2019, saying that he has no ambition to occupy any office now except if the constituency comes out to approve it.

Chime particularly tackled the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, who he said had accused him at a function at Aninri Local Government Area of abandoning the people of the council.

His words: “The Deputy Senate President so shamelessly accused me of abandoning the people of Aninri, that I never even appointed a permanent secretary, that Aninri didn’t even have a commissioner. I used the word shameless because as somebody who has been in government, he should have cross-checked his facts than to issue lies.”

Chime explained that like is done at the federal level in the appointment of ministers, he ensured that all the 17 local government areas of the state had at least one commissioner, adding that Aninri at that time had at least three permanent secretaries.

“I have not attended any function since I left office without a stranger coming to thank me because of the way I served Enugu. The people who hate me are the ones I refused to share money with,” he said, pointing out that these are the people who are now sponsoring secret meetings to disparage him.

On his Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) investigation over the N450 million campaign fund given to Enugu State, he blamed Mrs Rita Mba who was the secretary to the Jonathan Campaign Organisation in the state for being economical with the truth when the anti-graft body invited her.

“We gave directives on how to disburse the money, but Rita denied seeing the money and that was why I was invited by the EFCC, but later she said yes I saw the money,” he said, adding that EFCC should be allowed to do their job.