Ex-Governor of Enugu State, Barrister Sullivan Chime (right) and Enugu State Gubernatorial candidate of the PDP, Dr. Peter Mbah during the visit
… Says Edeoga, Nweke, Mbah, Others Were All Ebeano Members
By Tony Adibe
A former Governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime, has endorsed the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, stressing that “Mbah is the best Enugu State can offer now”.
NewsBits learnt that Chime’s endorsement has added a boost to the candidacy of Dr Mbah, who is seen as a front-line contestant in the race to the Lion Building, a nickname for the Government House, Enugu.
Chime disclosed this at his Independence Layout Enugu residence during an interactive session between Dr. Mbah and some influential persons, businessmen and leaders at the weekend. The former Governor said: “I have had interactions not just with him (Mbah), but also Frank Nweke, Chijioke Edeoga, and to me, looking at the field, Peter Mbah is the best, credible candidate Enugu can offer now.
“I have no reservations whatsoever in endorsing and supporting him. I believe, knowing Peter Mbah too well, that he will not disappoint Enugu”.
Chime described Mbah as a huge opportunity for Enugu, adding that it “takes a heart for service to leave an industry where Mbah’s company is number one and records over N1.4 trillion annual turnover to come home and offer to be governor.”
“When I was working with Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, Mbah wasn’t a politician. Peter Mbah is still not a politician; he has held some political offices before, certainly not an elective office.
“The first thing I asked him when he came to me at the beginning of this journey was, ‘Are you leaving your empire to be governor?’ And he gave me a very nice answer. From our interactions he is very clear on what he wants to do. He has a passion to give back to Enugu. He has the passion to take Enugu beyond what it was when we were there.
“Let’s try and restore Enugu. That’s his passion. That’s why he leaves his business to come to ask to become the governor of Enugu State, ” said Chime.
Chime also had a comment when asked to speak on the issue of Ebeano political structure. He stated: “The other major contestants: Edeoga for Labour, Frank Nweke for APGA, and all the contestants, even that of APC, Uche Nnaji, all played a role under Chimaroke Nnamani. We were all part of the Ebeano Family because from 1999 to 2007, it was like there was no other political party in Enugu. The governor then chose to have everybody answer Ebeano so almost everybody that held public office in Enugu State, including me was part of the Ebeano family.
“There’s hardly any person, who was in politics then and in politics today that has nothing to do with Ebeano. But just like Mbah rightly said, once you take your oath of office; once you say, “so help me God”, it’s your business, not Ebeano.
“For instance, if you were here from 2007 to 2015, I’m sure you would remember that you never heard about Ebeano. We decided it was PDP all the way. I told them during my administration that government is not about Ebeano; that we can do that during politics and politicking, but not during governance. During governance, Ebeano should disappear. That was what we did. And I am sure that’s what Peter Mbah will do.
“So, I don’t see Dr. Mbah coming up with one funny name. I don’t also see him putting Enugu in the hands of God. By the Grace of God, if he becomes the Governor of Enugu State, politics will disappear. The majority of my commissioners were not politicians. Once you go in there and continue to recycle the pools politicians, you will be limited much on what you can achieve.
“You must go outside that circle to get the best that will be able to work. And that’s the mindset of Peter Mbah. After our first term, people we didn’t know were campaigning for us. And it felt good. That’s what we are looking forward to Peter Mbah doing and achieving.”
Chime, who is a senior lawyer also dismissed the claim that Mbah made a plea bargain with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
“Peter Mbah has never been charged for any offence. Just like any other person, who has held an executive position, you can’t be Commissioner for Finance in an administration where your boss was thoroughly investigated and charged to court without you being invited to be asked questions.
“So, he was invited by EFCC and investigated, but whether he was indicted or charged to court, the answer is no. He was never charged to court. So, all these stories of plea bargain never happened with him.” he explained.
