Sullivan Chime @ 61: Where Is He Now?

By Chuks Ekpeneru

Sullivan Chime emerged on the national stage in 2007 when he silently emerged as governor of Enugu State.

He arguably had the smoothest path to office among the 36 governors. Days to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP primaries in 2007, the outgoing governor of the state, Chimaroke Nnamani had summoned his inner caucus and pointed out to them who and who would get the offices available.

It is argued in many quarters that he chose Chime over Senator Ike Ekweremadu because he feared that the later would overwhelm him as governor.

In the end, the soft-spoken Chime who he thought would not hurt a fly was the one who as governor drove Nnamani out of the state and he had to fall back on the likes of Ekweremadu for support.

Chime’s eight-year stewardship as governor of Enugu State was characterized by landmark efforts in opening up the rural areas of the state with many remote areas connected to the state capital.
During the Sullivan years, nightlife returned to the state and the then Inspector General of Police, MD Abubakar adjudged Enugu as the most peaceful and secured state in Nigeria.

One of the high points of his era was the enlistment of Enugu as one of the 100 Resilient Cities in the world by Rockefeller Foundation in 2014 out of the 331 cities applicants in the world.

Even while his infrastructure development efforts were lauded, Chime’s politics was, however, seen as unnecessarily bellicose.

He fought many needless battles with the national chairman of the PDP, Okwesileze Nwodo, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and even more with his deputy, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi. That was despite the selfless role of Onyebuchi in sustaining his governorship while he was abroad on a medical vacation.

Out of office, he dumped the PDP for the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC). The defection was seen as another imprudent political move by Chime.

However, former national chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Maxi Okwu, said it was to enable him get protection from the APC.

 “It’s an insurance against prosecution for looting,” Okwu said under the comment section of a post by one Ikem Okuhu.

The Udi born politician is a lawyer by profession, and was once Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice of Enugu State.

Out of office, Chime has again slipped back into the quiet life that was his lot before Nnamani brought him from.

Born on April 10, 1959, the question many will ask is where is the quiet man of Enugu.

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