The Rivers State House of Assembly ad-hoc committee investigating the income and expenditure of local government councils under the Rivers State East Constituency, Tuesday at Emohua council secretariat escaped being lynched by Chairman, Mr Sam Oge and members of the local government caretaker committee.
The incident occurred at about 10.30am, when the legislators and their press crew led by the House Deputy Leader, Hon Hope Ikiriko arrived the council premises and met the absence of the chairman, who was to receive the team.
After about 30 minutes wait by the lawmakers, the chairman came into the council and efforts made by the lawmakers to know why he could not receive them or detail one of his supervisors councillors to receive them forced the chairman to make uncomplementary comments against the legislators. Why will you talk to me? Is it because you are lawmakers?, the council chairman queried.
Instead of the chairman to politely explain to the lawmakers his whereabouts, he rather engaged them in physical assaults and showered abuses on the honourable members.
He emphatically told the lawmakers that they can not do him anything or remove him from office.
“You can not do me anything, the only thing you can do is to write a report which will not go any where,” he said.
The assaults lasted for more than an hour, which attracted workers and political aides from within and around the premises but for the quick intervention of the lawamkers’ police escorts.
Meanwhile, the leader of the RVHA East Local Government investigation team, Hon Hope Ikiriko has described the purported radio announcement made by the Emohua CTC Chairman, Mr Sam Oge, that the committee did not visit his local government area on Tuesday based on the purported shootings, as baseless and untrue.
Speaking to Assembly correspondents, Ikiriko said that the committee arrived the council secretariat on Tuesday, meeting everybody calm and healthy, adding that the chairman was contacted on phone before their arrival.
He disclosed that the committee spent about 30 miniutes before the chairman arrived, and exhibited callous and unfriendly manner to the committee, adding that the chairman’s remarks to the honourable members show his total disregard for the Assembly.
The chairman of the committee said that they invited him to appear before the Assembly for further questioning, and described him as irresponsible, unbecoming of the position he occupied.
