Member representing Ohaukwu North Constituency in Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Hon. Chinedu Awo, has been accused of using thugs to attack Mr Charles Oleh Jnr, Head of Community News of Ebonyi Broadcasting Corporation, EBBC.
Also attacked were Prince Solomon Okorie, Publisher of Guide-Post International Magazine/Newspapers as well as other journalists invited to cover the sharing of Government palliatives by the Ezza-Effium Community.
The incident took place at No 9, Nise Street, off Ogwu Street in Abakaliki metropolis.
Mr Charles Oleh Jnr narrated how the lawmaker, Mr Chinedu Awo ordered his thugs to beat him up after giving the EBBC Senior reporter a push in his attempt to clarify reactions trailing the disbursed palliatives.
He said: “by the time we arrived the venue many people blocked the gate of Deeper Life Bible Church in Abakaliki, complaining bitterly that Hon. Chinedu Awo and his cronies allegedly locked the gate, not allowing them to partake in sharing of the palliatives.
“Some of them alleged that the said lawmaker, planned to divert the palliatives, to share to his immediate family instead of following the due process.
“There were mixed reactions as some supported the palliatives to be shared in Abakaliki town, whereas, majority of them insisted that the palliatives should be moved to the community where more people would benefit.
“However, immediately Mr Chinedu Awo got information that journalists were on ground, he unlocked the small gate, rushed out and started attacking us.
“When I tried to explain he pushed me and unleased his thugs who descended on me and beat me mercilessly in public.
“They destroyed my phones and inflicted injury on my body as they used two-by-two planks and stones on me. It was just by the grace of God that I escaped from being killed.”
One of the affected Journalists, Prince Solomon Okorie, the Publisher of Guide-Post International Magazine said the lawmaker threatened to kill him if he published anything with regards to the allegations by his kinsmen.
“Just a comment from Charles Oleh Junior threw the scene rowdy as the Lawmaker ordered his boys to beat him up and we all took to our heels to save our lives,”Okorie stated.
In an interview, the National President of Umuekumaenyi General Assembly, Mr Ben Orogwu who is from the area explained that the palliatives given to Ezza people in Effium Community by the State Governor, Chief David Umahi was offloaded at the scene of the attack, 9, Nise Street Abakaliki town.
He said, the agreement of the community stakeholders was that the palliatives would be sent to the hinterland to distribute to the people but expressed surprise on how the arrangement was thwarted.
“Our agreement was that, this morning, we will move the palliatives to our respective villages but the so called stakeholders led by the Honourable member representing Ohaukwu North, Chinedu Awo have not allowed us to do it as we agreed.
“We don’t know why they refused allowing us to carry the palliatives to the village, personally I’m from Wigbeke ward II, and I have not seen my own.
” The instruction was that the palliatives should be shared booth by booth so that the affected people will benefit, not the urban guerrillas who don’t know their polling units. We don’t know what they are doing inside and locked doors against us,” the President and other sources from Ezza-Effium Community petitioned.
