Sources said that Chime arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, around 5.30 a.m. He left the country on September 19 last year.
But the Enugu State Information Commissioner, Chucks Ugwuoke, who confirmed the return of Chime, denied that the governor travelled because he was sick.
Ugwuoke said: “He arrived in Abuja this morning and is expected in Enugu State later today (Thursday) and preparations are on in the state to receive him.”
He insisted that the long absence of the governor was to enable him observe his vacation, adding that it was not true that he had been ill and treated of cancer. He added that his absence also did not contravene any constitutional provision.
He said: “There’s no reason to hide why he was away, he went on leave, he was on vacation and the constitution does not state what time the governor must spend.
“You can use your vacation to do some other things. During his vacation, he had the advantage and opportunity to do some other things he deemed necessary.”
He said the governor’s sudden return in the country had put paid to the falsehood being spread by the opposition in the state.
The commissioner further denied reports of Enugu being paralysed due to the absence of the governor, stressing that Chime dutifully handed over to his deputy, Sunday Onyebuchi, who had been acting in that capacity “awarding contracts and keeping the state running.”
Onyebuchi, he added, had held six meetings since the governor’s absence against the popular belief that the acting governor was not in charge.
“People are entitled to their views concerning how the health status of the governor was handled. The good news is that the governor is back and we should refuse to go back to yesterday. He is in Nigeria”, Ugwuoke said.
Meanwhile, frontline pressure group in the state, Save Enugu Group, in a statement yesterday said it received “with joy the informal news of the return of Governor Sullivan Chime into Nigeria in the wee hours of this morning.”
In the statement by Maxi Okwu, Willy Ezeugwu and Igbonekwu Ogazimorah, the group added: “We are reliably informed that Governor Chime arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on a British Airways (BA) flight from London Heathrow and moved to the Enugu Lodge in Abuja.”
The statement added: “We note that this event is taking place exactly one month after we first sounded the alarm of prolonged and unexplained absence. We acclaim this as falling within desired responsive action of leaders in a democracy. If the further information on the frail condition of the governor is reliable, we wish to state that Governor Chime did not deserve being hustled out of ‘gainful stay’ in good health institutions if the right things were done first and before questions arose. In that respect, we, as other good people of Enugu State stand to hold those responsible for primitive lies and needless cover-ups responsible.”
As at the time of filing the report yesterday, the governor’s return to the state was still being awaited, even as top officials of the administration were making last-minute efforts to give him a rousing welcome.
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