Governor Chime admits detaining his wife..but says its in her interest

Governor Chime admits detaining
his wife..but says its in her interest
This report from Sahara Reporters contradicts
reports yesterday that Gov Chime denied detaining
his wife. This report has more details about the
press conference that took place in Enugu on
Tuesday
Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State has
confirmed reports that he is keeping his wife
incarcerated, but that he is doing so in her
interest.
“I wanted the best for her and that’s why I
pleaded with the doctors to have her treated
at home,” he stated during a press
conference in Enugu.  “That’s also why I
allowed her access to her telephone and
laptop which unfortunately led to the stage
where I’m now being falsely accused of
imprisoning or detaining my own wife.”
Offering an explanation about his decision,
the governor said, “My wife has some
medical challenges and it would be very
unkind for me to talk about her condition on
the pages of newspapers,” the governor said
at a strange press conference in Govt
House.
“I’ve done everything to protect her integrity and
I’m not now going to expose her to ridicule
because some people want to exploit her situation
to drag me into a needless war of words.
With Clara Chime by his side at the conference, he
disclosed that the battle concerning his wife’s
health situation commenced even before his
inauguration in 2011.
“It was so bad at a time that she had to be taken
out of here (Governor’s Lodge) for treatment.
When she stabilized, I pleaded with her doctors if
she could be brought back here to be receiving her
treatment at home and they graciously accepted.
“There was a time she was confined indoors and
that was strictly on her doctors’ advice. She’s here
and she can confirm or deny it. Also, the doctors
then advised against allowing her access
to telephones and laptop.”
Asserting that he would never say or do anything
to undermine the dignity of his wife, he said his
“big blunder” was to have allowed her access to
the telephone and her laptop, against the advice of
her doctor, a mistake for which he is paying
dearly.
“Her brother is here, her doctor is here with us
too. You people (journalists) can confirm anything
you want from them, either here and at your
convenience. Would I have been a better husband
if I asked her to leave the Lodge because of her
medical challenge? Would it not have been more
convenient for me if I allowed her to stay and be
treated in the hospital?”
In a story broken by SaharaReporters one week
ago in which she begged human rights bodies to
come to her rescue, Mrs. Chime complained
bitterly that two psychiatrists, Dr. Onwukwe and
Dr. Agumuo, had prescribed “all kinds of drugs that
ends up keeping me acute depressed and also
drives me into hallucinations.”
Dr. Aham Agumuo, identified as Mrs. Chime’s
neuro-psychiatric doctor, was present at the
conference along with Tony Igwe, her elder
brother; as well as Mrs. May Oji and Dr. Jide
Chime, the governor’s siblings.
Following that first complaint, human rights lawyer
Femi Falana wrote a letter to the Inspector-
General of Police on her behalf urging him to have
her released.  She then wrote to the National
Human Rights Commission (NHRC) with the same
complaint of unlawful detention by her husband.
Offered a chance to speak at the press
conference, for a long time Mrs. Chime was silent,
ignoring persuasion from her husband and her
brother.  At a point, her brother Tony took her to
an adjacent room where they spent a few minutes
together before returning to the table. Tony then
declared that she was willing to talk but Mrs.
Chime dramatically delivered only another round of
silence.
Eventually, the First Lady said: “You (referring to
the governor) and my doctor can speak on my
behalf.”
To that, the governor politely replied: “Yes, I’m
your husband and should ordinarily do so but you
know I’m the one being accused of detaining you.
This way, I’ve lost that privilege to speak for you,
at least on this case. The story out there also is
that your doctor is probably scared of me and
gives you all kinds of drugs, sometimes against
your wish.”
Mrs. Chime merely said: “My doctor and I don’t
have any problem.”
Concerning the petition to the NHRC, she
corroborated an earlier text message she had sent
to her husband that she had not met Falana or
engaged him to seek her release from a purported
unlawful custody.  But she admitted that she wrote
a letter to Dr. Agumuo and another doctor
overseas to whom she was introduced, but said
she did not know how the letter leaked to the
public.
She also admitted that she was once confined to a
room without access to her telephone and laptop.
“That was when I had a serious crisis,” she said.
Mrs. Chime also confirmed that she has the key to
her room and controls her entry and exit, contrary
to the claim in the petition that she had been
locked up for asking to be allowed to leave. Her
grouse was that she had not been allowed to leave
the premises, but it was learned that she attended
Mass last Sunday.
Governor Chime chipped in: “All I want to reassure
you is that she is safe here. Her confinement
within the premises for now is at the instance of
her doctor who is here. Why would I want my wife
locked up? If it had been that I had issues with
her, there are many ways to resolve them. But
that’s not the case. She is not well and I’m willing
to do anything to support and protect her.
“It was always more convenient for me to have
taken the easier route but that would have been
very callous and ungodly. When I had my own
health challenge, I was receiving treatment in
London and thinking about her, making sure she
received the right treatment. I’m forever grateful to
her doctors who have done a great job. Both
families are billed to meet very soon and after that,
I’ll take a decision which will be in the interest of
both parties.”
Challenging the petition to the IGP by Mr. Falana,
the governor said: “He’s my professional
colleague but sometimes you leave people to their
conscience.  I won’t join words with him. Has he
met this client of his as he claimed to assess her
state of mind and determine if she can give him
the right brief to guide his case? Did he ask for
access to her or to me and was denied? I leave it
at that.”
He described the development as the penalty a
public officer faces, adding that when he was
receiving treatment in London, some of the
newspapers reported that I had died in India.
“I’ve never been to India and had never applied for
an Indian visa,” he stated. “Today, the story is
that I’ve imprisoned my own wife in my residence.
I know their motives but I wish those behind such
wicked tales well.”
He did not identify the people or their motives.