Enugu State Deputy Governor Sunday Onyebuchi described yesterday the
evacuation of his poultry by officials of the Enugu Capital Territory
Development Authority (ECTDA) and the Ministry of Environment, as a wicked act
of impunity.
He said the action was shocking, adding that it was intended to humiliate
him.
Reacting to the evacuation of 3,000 birds from his official residence
and the statement by Governor Sullivan Chime’s Press Secretary, Mr. Chukwudi
Achife, that the poultry farm constituted a health hazard, Onyebuchi said those
behind the act were hiding their motive.
He said he was surprised that the statement did not mention the alleged
violation of the Purpose Clause in the Certificate of Occupancy for the deputy
governor’s lodge as claimed in the two letters earlier sent to him from the Office
of the Chief of Staff to the Governor.
“Violation of Purpose Clause, which they claimed was the basis for their
action, was not mentioned in the statement.
“In the two letters on December 24 and 27, which I replied, they
mentioned the environmental or health hazard emanating from the poultry farm.
In their statement, they claimed they had asked me to clean up the place and I
refused. Let them produce a letter asking me to do that. It is not true,”
Onyebuchi said.
He said in his reply, “I told them that the poultry farm was designated
Agriculture Unit and I want them to deny that the structure had been used as a
poultry farm before I became deputy governor.
“Let them also deny that I have not operated the poultry farm since
2008. That was why I put in my Assets Declaration at the end of my first term
and at the beginning of this term that I have operated the poultry farm and
this was verified by the Code of Conduct Bureau. How suddenly my poultry farm
became a health hazard when it has been in existence since 2008.
“Let them also deny that there is no bigger poultry farm, piggery and
cattle ranch in the Governor’s Lodge. My poultry farm was properly run and
cleaned because it was run with the technical support from the state Ministry
of Agriculture.”
Asking the perpetrators of the act not to justify “an evil and wicked
deed by feeding the public with falsehood”, Onyebuchi said: “If they succeed in
deceiving the public, they can never deceive God.”
“As I am talking to you, the over 3,000 chickens confiscated yesterday
and their whereabouts are unknown. They also removed bags of feeds and feeders
and other materials,” he added.
Asked of his next action, the deputy governor said: “For now, I am
presenting the matter to God, because the person behind it is powerful and my
challenging him will be like using a vehicle to collide with a moving train.”
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