A storm is brewing in the Enugu Government house following the evacuation of over 3,000 fowls plus 40 crates of eggs from a poultry farm located in the official residence of the Enugu State Deputy Governor, Sunday Onyebuchi.
The evacuation was carried out by the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) and the Ministry of Environment. The officials, led by their commissioners said the poultry farm was constituting public health hazard.
The eggs and fowls were evacuated to an unknown location.
The ministry officials said the Deputy Governor had earlier been directed to relocate the poultry farm in two letters dated December 24 and 27, 2013 with reference numbers GHE/CAO/31/239 and GHE/CAO/31/240, signed by Mr. G.O.C Ajah, Permanent Secretary in-charge of Government House, Enugu.
However, the deputy governor has described yesterday's evacuation of his poultry as a wicked act of impunity intended to humiliate him.
He expressed shock that the statement issued by Governor Sullivan Chime’s Press Secretary, Mr. Chukwudi Achife,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.
Onyebuchi said, "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.
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.
"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.
The Deputy governor concluded by saying he was presenting the matter to God, because the person behind it is powerful and my challenging him was like using a small vehicle to collide with a moving train.
No comments:
Post a Comment