Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State has always been in the news since his inception as a governor. Lot of rumours have been spread about the governor and his family. The mysteries that the public will love to hear about Chime’s ordeal are yet to unveil.
It will be recalled that Governor Sullivan Chime, was away some time ago, when he was
in London to receive treatment on undisclosed aliments’, in which some of the
newspapers reported that he had died in India.
However, the recent plight of his beautiful wife, Clara Chime,
who raises an alarm that her husband imprisoned her and that her two psychiatrists, Dr. Onwukwe and Dr. Agumuo, had
prescribed “all kinds of drugs that ends up keeping me acute depressed and also
drives me into hallucinations,” this alleged detention prompt the human
rights lawyer Femi Falana wrote a letter to the Inspector-General of Police on
her behalf urging him to have her released. She then wrote to the
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) with the same complaint of unlawful
detention by her husband, needs to look into.
In a press conference granted in the presence of Dr. Aham Agumuo, identified as Mrs. Chime’s neuro-psychiatric
doctor, Tony Igwe, her elder brother; Mrs. May Oji and Dr. Jide Chime, the
governor’s siblings. Governor Chime admitted to the allegation that he actually
kept her wife in-door.and disclosed that the battle concerning his wife’s
health situation commenced even before his inauguration in 2011 He added . Here
are his comments:
“My wife has some medical challenges and it would be very unkind
for me to talk about her condition on the pages of newspapers,” “I’ve done everything to protect her integrity
and I’m not now going to expose her to ridicule because some people want to
exploit her situation to drag me into a needless war of words.
“It was so bad at a time that she had to be taken out of here
(Governor’s Lodge) for treatment. When she stabilized, I pleaded with her
doctors if she could be brought back here to be receiving her treatment at home
and they graciously accepted.
“There was a time she was confined indoors and that was strictly
on her doctors’ advice. She’s here and she can confirm or deny it. Also,
the doctors then advised against allowing her access to telephones and
laptop.”
“I wanted the best for her and that’s why I pleaded with the
doctors to have her treated at home,” he stated during a press conference in
Enugu. “That’s also why I allowed her access to her telephone and laptop
which unfortunately led to the stage where I’m now being falsely accused of
imprisoning or detaining my own wife.”
“Her brother is here; her doctor is here with us too. You people
(journalists) can confirm anything you want from them, either here and at your
convenience. Would I have been a better husband if I asked her to leave the
Lodge because of her medical challenge? Would it not have been more convenient
for me if I allowed her to stay and be treated in the hospital?”
It was gathered that when Mrs. Chime, offered a chance to speak
at the press conference, the First Lady said: “You (referring to the governor)
and my doctor can speak on my behalf .Eventually, she merely said: “My doctor
and I don’t have any problem.”
To that, the governor politely replied: “Yes, I’m your husband
and should ordinarily do so but you know I’m the one being accused of detaining
you. This way, I’ve lost that privilege to speak for you, at least on this
case. The story out there also is that your doctor is probably scared of me and
gives you all kinds of drugs, sometimes against your wish.”
Mrs. Chime also confirmed that she has the key to her room and
controls her entry and exit, contrary to the claim in the petition that she had
been locked up for asking to be allowed to leave. Her grouse was that she had
not been allowed to leave the premises, but it was learned that she attended
Mass last Sunday.
Governor Chime added that : “All I want to reassure you is that
she is safe here. Her confinement within the premises for now is at the
instance of her doctor who is here. Why would I want my wife locked up? If it
had been that I had issues with her, there are many ways to resolve them. But
that’s not the case. She is not well and I’m willing to do anything to support
and protect her.
“It was always more convenient for me to have taken the easier
route but that would have been very callous and ungodly. When I had my own
health challenge, I was receiving treatment in London and thinking about her,
making sure she received the right treatment. I’m forever grateful to her
doctors who have done a great job. Both families are billed to meet very soon
and after that, I’ll take a decision which will be in the interest of both
parties.”
Challenging the petition to the IGP by Mr. Falana, the governor
said: “He’s my professional colleague but sometimes you leave people to their
conscience. I won’t join words with him. Has he met this client of his as
he claimed to assess her state of mind and determine if she can give him the
right brief to guide his case? Did he ask for access to her or to me and was
denied? I leave it at that.”
He described the development as the penalty a public officer
faces.
We pray for peace, good health and speedy recovery within the
house-hold of Chimes.
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