Head of Local Government Administration, Anambra East Local government area, Anambra state Chike Obuekwe, has been transferred out of the council area after he was assaulted allegedly by the Transition Committee Chairman, Pius Ifeadi.
The transfer by the Anambra State Local Government Service Commission Chairman, Dr Peter Egenti was seen as punitive on why he should write a petition against Ifedi suspected to be Governor’s boy even after he (Obuekwe) was assaulted.
A petition to the Nigerian Police Commissioner, Anambra state command by Obuekwe’s lawyer, Gab Muoneke Esq, narrated how Obuekwe was molested for stating the obvious on the fraudulent activities of diverting the council IGR going on in the council under Ifeadi’s watch.
Obukwe had in a petition intimated the Chairman of Local Government service commission about the molestation and rather than call a meeting of those involved to permanently redress the unthinkable act from a Trannsition committee chairman to the most senior HLGA in Anambra state, he was transferred out and the Transition Committee Chairman was alleged to be boasting that this is their government and hat nothing would happen and instead of any punishment come his way, the HLGA should be transferred out.
Obuekwe’s petition obtained by newsmen from the Local government service commission alleged that since he wrote a memo to the council boss Ifeadi on his observations of diversion of daily IGR by his men as an advice , which he got no response on that , the council boss had seen him as enemy and had constantly abused him orally.
It reads in part: ‘’In the course of the discharge of my duties , I discovered that a lot of illegal collections were going on particularly around the waterways by some people who were agents of the Transition committee chairman and I did my best to curtail some illegal collections. I attach some proofs of those illegal collections and I mark same Annexure B.
He alleged that a Pontoon belonging to the council area was sold under suspicious circumstances that might be permitted by the council boss. The Pontoon is now domiciled in the Anambra River.
On the incident, the petition said Ifeadi invited him (Obuekwe) to his office to discuss issues of Booklets printed allegedly at High Cost and Birth Certificate without ‘East’ as a prefix and after explaining his part evidently with proof, he informed him that fraud could be traced in some activities authorized from his office and not the workers, but he ordered him out of his office , but before he could turn and go , he removed his shoe and hit him severally breaking his head and shoulder.
His skull was broken and under his heart is fluid COOU Teaching Hospital and was admitted for three days, informing the state Governor, Chief Willie Obiano and Chairman Local Governmnet6 Service Commission, Dr Egenti but rather than their action against the Council Boss , nothing has happened.
Obuekwe had appealed to the Governor and Local Government Service Commission boss that the issues be satisfactorily and critically addressed especially his physical assault occasioning body harm by Hon Ifeadi Pius that could have led to his death and as well to conduct a thorough investigation into the activities of Ifeadi as Transition Committee chairman particularly his wanton fraud and illegality as alleged by him.
Already, the members of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Anambra East led by Comrade Victor Udealor have protested the attack on the Head of Local Government Administration but were prevailed on by the President of NULGE, Comrade Jerry Nnubia.
When Contacted, the Transition Committee Chairman of the Anambra East, Hon Ifeadi Pius admitted he broke the head of the Head of Local Government Administration Obuekwe but that it has been resolved as he has apologized to him and the workers over that unfortunate and regrettable incident.
Hon Ifeadi said the issue is now an old story having settled it peacefully even as he denied having a hand in the transfer done by the commission as alleged as the Commission did normal transfer. He did not speak on the issues of fraud raised by Obuekwe and other sundry allegations like his boasting that he would break his head and nothing would happen as the Governor is his brother.
But a unionist in the council area who did not want to be mentioned for fear of victimization, confided in newsmen that the Governor and the Chairman of the council area did not handle the matter very well as it is unthinkable for a local government Head of Administration to be beaten up by a Transition Committee Chairman not even elected.
He decried the boast by the council boss that Governor ordered DSS to stop further investigation on the matter as the council boss contributed to his election.
The Union leader said it was an embarrassment to the workers as it flouted all rules and regulations guiding work in the council area but thanked God that the state President of NULGE, Comrade Jerry Nnubia that saved the situation as workers had mobilized to chase away the transition committee chairman from the council area and if possible beat him up too as injustice to one is injustice to all.
The Unionist further said that the DSS lady has been transferred out of Anambra East to Achalla and others who frowned at the episode too.
The HLGA, Chike Obuekwe, when contacted said there is nothing he would say further since the media man claimed he has the petition he wrote.
The Unionist pointed out that there were fraudulent diversion of council IGR to personal pockets as there were instances of generating of N680,00 and N410 ,000 tools collection but only N40,000 were paid into the council treasury.
The Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, Dr Egenti could not be reached as at press time.
