A showdown is currently on-going outside the gates of the Enugu State House of Assembly following an attempt by nine lawmakers allegedly sponsored by out-going Governor Sullivan Chime to hold a nocturnal sitting to impeach principal officers of the House.

Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Eugene Odoh, told News Express minutes ago that his offence and that of the 15 other members of the Assembly is their refusal to approve Governor Chime’s last-minute request for an N11 billion loan, which the lawmakers see as an attempt to swindle the state before Chime hands over to his successor on May 29.

Hon. Odo sad on phone to News Express: “We were tipped off that the governor had arranged for nine minority members of the House to sit at 4am to impeach me and other principal officers of the Assembly because of our refusal to approve his request for an N11 billion naira loan.

“He made the request in March and claimed that the money would be used to pay contractors. We requested for the names of the contractors and he could not provide them. We requested for the amount to be paid each contractor and he could not provide them, so we turned down the request.

“We arrived here when we got wind of the proposed sitting to impeach principal officers of the Assembly but the governor used the police to lock us out. What we are witnessing in Enugu is impunity.”

Contacted on phone, Chukwudi Achife, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Chime, told News Express: “I’m not aware of any plan by the governor to impeach anybody. What happens at the Assembly is their private matter. As to the issue of the N11B loan, the governor applied and the House approved in November last year and did so in writing. There is no fresh application by the governor, so I do not know where this is coming from. This is a clear a case of mischief; somebody is trying to be mischievous.”

•Photo shows Governor Chime.

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