by Tutu Akinlabi

The Governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime, was recently placed in the eye of the storm when it was alleged that he was holding his wife, Clara, under house arrest.

Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State on Tuesday night denied subjecting his wife, Mrs. Clara Chime, to house arrest and has vowed to protect her from being exposed to ridicule.

Chime made this denial in the presence of some journalists, his wife and her elder brother, Mr. Tony Igwe

Also present were the governor’s siblings, Mrs. May Oji and Dr. Jide Chime, as well as Mrs. Chime’s neuro-psychiatric doctor, Dr. Aham Agumuo, among a few others.

At the interview session, the governor’s wife denied sending any petition to the National Human Rights Commission alleging unlawful detention by her husband.

She also denied hiring the services of Mr. Femi Falana to seek her freedom from an alleged house arrest at the Governor’s Lodge, Enugu.

Falana had claimed in his letter to media houses and the Inspector-General of Police that he was engaged by the governor’s wife to seek her freedom from alleged house arrest.

The state governor, however, stated that it was “so disturbing” for him to speak out publicly about his wife’s health challenges.

He vowed to do all within his power, no matter the personal pains, to protect her from ridicule.

“Well, my wife has some medical challenges and it would be very unkind for me to talk about her condition on the pages of newspapers.

“I have 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,” Chime said.