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he crack within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Enugu State seems to have taken another dimension as officials of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority on Monday began the evacuation of the 3500 birds at the poultry farm belonging to the state Deputy Governor, Sunday Onyebuchi, inside his official residence.
DailyPost learnt that the evacuation is preparatory to the demolition of the poultry farm.
Loyalists of the Governor have been at war with the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.
Onyebuchi is perceived to be loyal to the Ekweremadu group.
The Deputy Governor had ran the farm whose output was given at 40 creates of egg per day since 2008.
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.
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.
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?”
