The ongoing drama in the household of Enugu State Governor, Sullivan Chime, entered another chapter yesterday when it was gathered that the First Lady of the State, Mrs. Clara Chime was sent packing from the state house by the governor.

CEOAFRICA.com retrieved from sources that Mrs. Chime’s personal belongings were forcefully packed out of the state house by the governor, accompanied by his security aides, and was bundled to her mother’s residence at House 38, Coal City Estate, Enugu.

However, on getting to the mother’s residence, the woman was not around and this force the security with Mrs. Clara to stay inside the vehicle for over two hours, before Governor Chime allegedly drove down to order that they should return with his wife to the Government House due to fear that her eviction has started attracting media attention.

This, according to our source, was because Mrs. Chime petitioned the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) over her confinement in the Government House against her wish.

A statement by NHRC said the commission was yet to reach a determination on the petition received from the governor’s wife.

The commission said: “The complaint is currently being investigated and will be subjected to the commission’s Rules of Procedure. The commission is a credible national institution that will never be biased or compromised in case management or any matter before the commission.”

NHRC said it became necessary for it to address the press on Friday November 8, in respect of the complaint received from Mrs Chime because it had attracted considerable media attention and generated a lot of public interest.

“The purpose of the briefing was to inform Nigerians that the commission’s team of investigators visited Enugu and held a meeting with the complainant and her husband and is taking further investigative steps in respect of the matter.

“The commission wishes to place it on the record that it has never claimed to have established that Mrs. Chime has health challenges. It was clearly stated during the meeting with the press that the issue of Mrs. Chime’s health status came up in the course of investigation and it was mutually agreed that the commission constitutes an independent medical team to evaluate the true state of her health.

“The NHRC has no form of medical competence to establish the health status of Mrs Chime or any other person. The investigation is still on-going,” it said.

Also, the Chairman of the Governing Council of the commission, Dr. Chidi Odinkalu, has described allegations that the commission might have been compromised in the conduct of the case of the alleged illegal confinement of Mrs. Chime as factually inaccurate and manifestly unfounded.

Odinkalu, in a statement in Abuja, said he was inundated with inquiries about the on-going processes of the NHRC in relation to the complaint initiated by Mrs. Chime.
He said since the complainant was the spouse of a senior political office holder, the complaint had naturally elicited somewhat fevered public interest.

The commission’s Executive Secretary, Professor Bem Angwe last Friday had stated that when the commission's team interacted with Mrs. Chime, she spoke to them fluently and coherently, adding, “She answered all the questions we raised in her presence as a person who is aware of the circumstances of her environment and the consequence of her action.”

Angwe had however added that Mrs Chime had admitted to suffering from depression and “hallucinations”, although Mrs. Chime said she suffered from hallucinations, saying the commission should withdraw its statement.