There were tension within the government house circles yesterday over an alleged directive from Governor Sullivan Chime for demolition of a poultry farm located at the official residence of his deputy, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi.
It was learnt that the
poultry farm, which houses about 4000 birds that lay about 40 crates of egg
daily, had been
operated by Onyebuchi since 2008.
The Enugu Capital Territory Development
Authority, Monday, evacuated the birds preparatory to the demolition of
the poultry farm.
Though the Deputy Governor has no
political ambition in 2015, but loyalists of the Governor have been at
loggerheads war with the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and there are
fears that Mr. Onyebuchi might be loyal to the Ekweremadu group.
A government official who spoke under
anonymity said the move to demolish the poultry farm was based on the “public
health hazards engendered by the waste resulting from birds dropping as well as
the offensive inconvenience to occupiers of adjoining premises”.
Enugu Capital Territory Commissioner,
Ikechukwu Ugwuegede and his
Environment Counterpart, Nnaemeka Chukwuonwe had stormed the Deputy Governor’s official residence around 1.00 pm on Monday to effect the demolition order.
Environment Counterpart, Nnaemeka Chukwuonwe had stormed the Deputy Governor’s official residence around 1.00 pm on Monday to effect the demolition order.
On noticing, however, that the birds were
still in the poultry following the refusal of the Deputy Governor to relocate
them, Ugwuegede directed his officials to evacuate them (birds) into the
waiting trucks, preparatory to the demolition of the poultry.
Onyebuchi, who stood with his wife,
members of his family and aides to watch while the birds were being evacuated,
said he was not informed where the birds were being moved to, stressing that he
inherited the poultry farm as part of his official residence.
Ugwuegede refused to grant any press
interview on the reason for the demolition and where he the birds were being
moved to.
A notice of relocation had been served on
the Deputy Governor over the farm last year from the office of the Chief of
Staff to the governor, Mrs Ifeoma Nwobodo.
The notice dated December 27, 2013 and
entitled “Final notice/request to stop or relocate the commercial poultry farm
in your official
residence”, was signed by a Permanent Secretary in the office of the Chief of Staff, GOC Ajah.
residence”, was signed by a Permanent Secretary in the office of the Chief of Staff, GOC Ajah.
It reads: “Further to this office letter
Ref: GHE/CAO/31/239 of 24th December, 2013 on the above subject matter, 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
said 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”, adding that while no further notice would be
given at the end of the ultimatum, relevant government agencies would also be
mobilized to effect compliance.
However, Onyebuchi, who protested the
development on Monday, said he had on January 8, 2014 in response to the notice
for the relocation of the poultry farm written to the Chief of Staff on the
true state of the poultry farm.
In the letter signed by the Permanent
Secretary in his office, Chris Eze, the Deputy Governor had stated that his
official residence was part and parcel of government house, adding that there
was no Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) issued in its respect.
It read in part: “Just to put the records
straight, His Excellency has asked me to inform you that the said Poultry farm
is operated within a section of the Deputy Governor’s residence designated and
fenced out as agriculture unit – same as the Agric unit of the Government
house, where a bigger poultry farm, a piggery and a ranch exist.
“His Excellency the Deputy Governor
operates a vegetable farm within that section and no mention was made of it, or
is vegetable farm within the purpose clause of the C of O?”
“The structure for the said poultry
farm was inherited by His Excellency from his predecessor in office who also
used same for the same purpose. His Excellency has operated the same farm since
2008 with technical support from ENADEP and commercial agriculture programme of
the state Ministry of Agriculture.
“There is no record of a letter from
you to His Excellency, bringing to his attention, complaint of any
environmental or health hazard from the said poultry since 2008. This is
because there is none. The poultry is operated with the best international
practices. His Excellency’s members of staff are living in the boy’s quarter,
just meters away from the poultry and they have not complained of any
inconvenience since 2008,” the letter from the Deputy Governor’s Permanent
Secretary said.
Meanwhile Onyebuchi, who wondered why such
punitive action should be meted to him, said the letter had not been replied
to.
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