Enugu Environment Ministry invades dep gov’s lodge

Enugu Environment Ministry invades dep gov’s lodge
 News    Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Officials of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, ECTDA evacuating the deputy governor’s poultry. advertisement

By Tony Edike
ENUGU-OFFICIALS of Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority and Ministry of Environment, yesterday, invaded the official lodge of the state deputy governor, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, and carted away over 3,000 chickens and about 40 crates of eggs from his poultry on the orders of the Chief of Staff to the governor, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo.
But Chief Press Secretary to governor, Chukwudi Achife, said it was regrettable that the deputy governor chose to ignore all entreaties, including a government directive, to relocate the birds, especially one that had to do with the health of the people.
The ECTDA and Environment Ministry officials, who were led by their commissioners, Messrs Ikechukwu Ugwuegede and Nnaemeka Chukwuone respectively, arrived the lodge at about 1p.m. yesterday to inform the deputy governor of the Chief of Staff's order to evacuate the birds and demolish the poultry which the government said constituted public health hazard.
Deputy governor watches

Onyebuchi, who was with his wife and personal aides, including security officers attached to his office at the lodge which had been under renovation since September 2012, did not resist the action of the officials who later brought in four trucks and evacuated the chickens to an unknown destination.
When the government officials mobilised by the two commissioners could not evacuate the entire birds, Ugwuegede mobilised more uniformed officials of his ministry who spent about an hour evacuating the birds and the crates of eggs into the four trucks and took them away.
Commissioner declines comment
The ECTDA Commissioner, however, declined to comment on the development when approached by newsmen who rushed to the scene from the nearby Press Unit of Government House, saying he did not invite any journalist to witness the exercise.
But Vanguard obtained copies of correspondence between the office of the governor and that of the deputy governor over the operation of the poultry farm in the government lodge.
Two separate letters dated December 24 and 27, 2013, with reference numbers GHE/CAO/31/239 and GHE/CAO/31/240 and signed for the Chief of Staff by Mr. G.O.C Ajah, Permanent Secretary in-charge of Government House, Enugu, which were delivered to the office of the deputy governor the same day, indicated that the Chief of Staff had directed that the poultry be removed.
Letter on relocation ofpoultry
One of the letters, entitled "Final Notice/Request to stop or relocate the commercial poultry in your official residence" and dated December 27, 2013 reads: "I am directed to request Your Excellency to kindly stop or relocate the said commercial poultry farm out of your official residence as it offends the Statutory Certificate/Certificate of Occupancy purpose clause for which the land is used as Residential.
"I am further directed to state that Your Excellency is given up to 14 days from the date of this letter to effect the desired directive referred to above. Please be informed that (at) the expiration of this ultimatum no further Notice may be given as appropriate action will be taken by relevant Government Agency to effect desired compliance."
In his reply to the letter dated January 8, 2014, and signed by Mr. Chris A. Eze, Permanent Secretary in his office, the deputy governor said the tone and language of the letters written to him by the Chief of Staff "is insulting and shows disregard to the Office of the Deputy Governor of a State.
"The haste of the two letters shows a mind filled with malice and bent on making mischief, the two letters were delivered to His Excellency's office, signed for and received on the same day, December 27, 2013. One is a "Notice" and the other "Final Notice.
"His Excellency, the deputy governor also observed that your said letters are replete with falsehood. The official residence of the deputy governor is part and parcel of Government House and no Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) is, to the best of the knowledge of His Excellency, issued in respect of it.
"His Excellency challenges you to produce or at least cite its reference number since this is the basis of your action. You may also consider revoking the said C of O.
Putting records straight