Governor Sullivan Chime's Consolidated Leave and the Conspiracy Theorists
By Ambrose Agu



Folks,

Let us all calm down and re-examine this vacation matter.
Here are the facts. For five years and four months (that is since assuming
office on May 29, 2007), Governor Sullivan Chime had never taken a vacation. But
finally, on or about 20th September, 2012 Governor Chime left the shores of
Nigeria to vacation abroad. Before his departure, however, he had duly
transmitted a letter to the Enugu State House of Assembly through the Speaker
Eugene Odoh informing it that he was proceeding on a consolidated leave. Via
that correspondence he also properly handed over governance of Enugu State to
his deputy, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi. Having done all this Governor Chime fully
complied with the requirements of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria as amended.

Thereafter Sunday Onyebuchi became the Acting Governor of Enugu State and has
been acting very competently as such. Governance has been proceeding as usual
without any hitches. The Enugu State Government has continued to deliver
government services to the populace in a very prompt and efficient manner.
Governance has not suffered or slowed down in any way at all in Enugu State.
Acting Governor Onyebuchi had directed and all members of the Enugu State
Government understand that it is "FULL STEAM AHEAD", and as can be proven on the
ground, the Enugu State Government has been powering on impeccably as usual.

In the meantime Governor Chime is now on the 70th (or so) day of his
well-deserved vacation. Since then some well-meaning citizens have expressed
concerns (albeit uninformed). Of course the anti-Chime hate-cultists have also
sought to hijack the bandwagon, camouflaging their familiar hate and venom as
legitimate concern and constructive criticism. Be that as it may let us examine
the concerns which are essentially two-fold.

The first concern is that the number of vacation days that Governor Chime has
taken so far is extraordinarily too long. But is it really? What is "too long"?
First we must remember that for five years and four months (that is since
assuming office on May 29, 2007), Governor Chime had never taken a vacation. All
he had done for these last five years is work himself to the bone for Enugu
State. The evidence is everywhere. Just try and remember Enugu State as it was
five years ago and what it is now. To get from there to where we are now takes a
lot of hard work and many, many sleepless nights. This is what Governor Chime
has done for over five years. So can you imagine how tired the man is right now?
Having satisfied all constitutional requirements, and with a competent Acting
Governor in charge of Enugu state, do you not think that this Champion-Governor
deserves as much rest as he needs? Well, while you may think that"70 days and
counting" is "too long" for vacation for Governor Chime, some of us happen to
disagree. In fact we believe that he deserves as many more vacation days as he
is entitled to under the law, and not a day less.

And there is no dearth of historical precedent (from within or outside Nigeria)
of a state chief executive going on leave for more than 60 days. Erstwhile
Republican Presidential candidate, Mitt Romney is a good example. When Romney
was Governor of Massachusetts, he cumulatively spent more than a year (417 days)
out of the state. More than 70 percent of those 417 days was spent on vacations,
getaways, and personal trips unrelated to his job. In 2006 alone Romney spent
212 days out of his state — more than four days each week, on average. But
folks, Mitt was neither vilified then, nor were there any calls for his
impeachment. Why then do we now vilify and use the "I" word for our
Champion-Governor Sullivan Chime who for five years and four months worked very,
very hard for Enugu State without taking a vacation, just because finally he has
been resting and recuperating for approximately 70 days (not 212 days like
Romney) ?

Okay, do you want to talk about George W. Bush (LOL)! As President of the
greatest, strongest , nation in the history of the world, George W. Bush spent
32% of his presidency on vacation. George W. Bush was on vacation for 1,020 days
in an 8 year period. Folks, that is an average of 127 days of vacation per year.
If Governor Chime were to follow Dubya's example, then Governor Chime would be
entitled to 127 vacation days per year for those 5 years that he had not been on
vacation. Folks, following the Dubyan example, Governor Chime would be entitled
to 635 days of cumulative vacation! Yet we hiss and moan and use the "I" word
for our Champion-Governor Sullivan Chime just because, finally, he has been
resting and recuperating for approximately 70 days (after five years and four
months of working very hard for Enugu State without taking a vacation). Now,
what if George W. Bush were the Governor of Enugu State? What would you do then?

Even President Barrack Obama has been on vacation for more days in 3 years than
Governor Chime has been in 5 years! President Barrack Obama has been on vacation
for 78 days from 2009 to 2011 (3 years). But in contrast, Governor Sullivan
Chime has, so far, been on vacation for only 70 days from 2007 to 2012 (5
years). So President Obama has been on vacation for more days in 3 years than
Governor Chime has been in 5 years! But has there been any vilification of
President Obama or calls for his impeachment because of his 78 vacation days in
3 years? The answer is a resounding, a telling, a wise, and an informed "NO!"
Yet we froth and fume, twist and shout, and peddle the "I" word just because
our Champion-Governor Sullivan Chime finally took a vacation after five years
and four months of working so hard without taking a vacation. Is that fair?

Here in Nigeria, many other Governors have spent more time outside their states
than Governor Chime has. Some have even done this without handing over to an
Acting Governor as Governor Chime properly did. Take Kano State Governor, Malam
Rabiu Kwankwaso, as just one example. It is reported that his travel patterns
for the year 2012 reveal that he has spent 60% of the time outside his state. It
is also reported that for the months of February, March and April 2012, the
governor has traveled out of Kano for 52 days of the 90 days. The Governor is
also reported to have recently returned from a 20-day trip to the USA, but
shortly after his return he has left for Dubai and is yet to return. Now did he
hand over to an Acting Governor as Governor Chime properly did? No, he did not.
And we do not hear any "I" word being bandied after him? Yet some people are
already calling the police on Governor Chime just because he has been resting
for approximately 70 days after five years and four months of working so hard
without taking a vacation. And this after properly handing over the reins of the
state over to an Acting Governor as required by the Constitution! Is this
vilification fair?

Governor Chime's case is always different as is always the case of all
performers who leave a lot of bitter opponents in the dust. That is the only
reason why they vilify him now and flash the "I" word just because he has been
on vacation after five years of no vacation. But the bottom-line is that
Governor Chime's time out on vacation so far (70 days) is not extraordinary at
all. In fact it is mild compared to some of the examples we have cited. It is
also deserving considering that Governor Chime had not been on vacation for over
five years. It is also not illegal because he complied with all the dictates of
the Nigerian Constitution before proceeding on vacation. It is also not
irresponsible because he, in fact, handed governance of the State to a very
capable Acting Governor. There has been no vacuum, and governance has been
proceeding handsomely.

The other "concern" or more a point of agitation is an inexplicable and
obstinate insistence (especially by our resident anti-Chime hate cultists) that
the Enugu State Government announce immediately that Governor Chime is very ill
and undergoing medical procedures abroad.
The proponents of this "sick" theory are totally, vehemently, and almost
violently convinced that Governor Chime is very ill and undergoing medical
procedures abroad. But do they offer any proof of this at all. No! All they go
by is their "feelings" and "beliefs" and crazy rumours, of an alleged medical
situation.

These people are essentially incurable conspiracy theorists. They erroneously
believe that Governor Chime is very ill and that there is a cover-up of the
truth by Chime's aides. Their brain tells them that an evil group is behind the
whole thing, hiding the truth and milking the state dry in the process.
Unfortunately these conspiracy theorists will accept nothing short of an
immediate and total validation and confirmation of their fevered suspicions.
They want an immediate announcement by Government that Governor Chime is very
ill, even if this is a lie. These people reject the truth. They shun reality
and simply cling on to their small gods of rumour and conjecture.

But has the Enugu State Government not explained SEVERAL TIMES that Governor
Chime is quite simply on his consolidated annual leave? And that before
proceeding on his leave, and in strict compliance with the Nigerian
Constitution, he had duly handed over to his deputy, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi who is
currently the Acting Governor, and who is fully in charge and has been
discharging the responsibilities of that office quite competently and
creditably? Has the Enugu State Government not reassured the people, SEVERAL
TIMES, that Governor Chime will return to his duty post after his vacation, even
as the Acting Governor has continued to effectively pilot the affairs of the
state?

Despite all these attempts at explaining the situation and reassuring the
people, some people just will not rest their brains until they hear something
bad about Governor Chime. Much like vultures they eagerly expect and even demand
an immediate announcement by the Enugu Stare Government that Governor Chime is
very ill and undergoing medical procedures abroad. Well, THERE WILL BE NO SUCH
ANNOUNCEMENT. This is because at the end of his vacation Governor Chime will
return to Enugu, ever more ready, ever more refreshed and ever more
reinvigorated to continue to deliver on his 4-Point Agenda for the
socio-economic development of Enugu State. End of story.

To our Champion-Governor please continue to enjoy your vacation. Please take as
many more vacation days as you are entitled to under the law, and not a day
less. You deserve it. We miss you, but be rest assured that Enugu State is
doing very well under Acting Governor Sunday Onyebuchi. May God keep you and
bring you back home safely!

To the conspiracy theorists, please rest your brains, or you could cause
yourself an aneurism!

To the good people of Enugu State. Thank you for your understanding. Our dear
Governor will soon be back. May God bless Enugu State!

Ambrose Agu