Mr. Ogochukwu Onyekwuruje, counsel to Enugu State Deputy Governor, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, has painted a clear picture of how and why his client collapsed yesterday while giving evidence at his impeachment trial, thus necessitating the suspension of the sitting till next week.

Onyebuchi, who is accused of operating a poultry in his Government House abode and disrespecting Governor Sullivan Chime, had slumped the Enugu High Court complex, venue of the panel sitting, at about 11:00 a.m.

Addressing journalists after the panel adjourned, Onyekwuruje said that Onyebuchi “had started giving his evidence and somewhere along the line, he developed some weakness and dizziness and at that point, the tribunal stopped for the family to attend to him. He was immediately taken out of the courtroom and was taken to a hospital.”

On what caused the problem, he said: “They have diagnosed blood pressure and a medical report has just been brought showing his state of health. I think he is stable but there has to be some precautionary medical attention given to him to properly stabilise him.

“What I know is that he suddenly developed a high blood pressure. You will understand that for the past one week, he had been here morning to evening. He had been running around organising his defence and particularly yesterday he was with us till about 11:00p.m., trying to organise his defence. The man is willing and ready to defend himself to the satisfaction of his conscience. So, it must be part of his problem, the stress he had gone through all this one week.

“What we believe now, until proper examination, is that he temporarily suffered some dizziness and weakness. At least, he started by telling us he was not seeing clearly, he was dizzy and asked for a bottle of water and from that point he was taken out.

“He was seated and he was giving his evidence slowly and properly when suddenly he went into this situation. There was no argument, there was nothing. He did not fall; he just complained to the tribunal chairman, ‘I am dizzy, I am not seeing clearly and I need a bottle of water’, and from that point, you could see him bending down, holding his head and was taken out.”

The panel has adjourned sitting till Monday in keeping with Onyekwuruje’s request based on the report from Dr. B. C. Anisiuba, a consultant cardiologist at the UNTH Enugu, which indicated that Deputy Governor Onyebuchi suffered from high blood pressure and recommended that he be allowed to rest for a week.

•Photo shows embattled Enugu Deputy Governor Onyebuchi.

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