By BENJAMIN OMOIKE
Chairman of Ndokwa East Local Government Area in Delta State has been accused of beating a legislator, Louis Ogene, to a pulp. It was gathered that it took the intervention of colleagues and other sympathisers who rushed to the council premises to save Ogene.
“The House has been demanding the income and expenditure of the council,” the legislator explained, “which eventually the treasurer of the local government was directed to present to the House.”
“We were taken aback by the TLG’s presentation of the council’s financial records without copies of the financial document for councillors to peruse and make their inputs.”
“A motion was made to this effect by a colleague, but the leader pleaded with us to allow the TLG to continue with the presentation, promising to make copies afterward.” We let him in for the sake of peace. “At the conclusion of his speech, the TLG tossed the lone copy from which he read to the mace.
Read Also: NSCDC boss inspects exhibit yard set ablaze, to sustain partnership with KAS
The leader took that particular copy and promised to replicate it later for us to review and comment on, a promise he never kept despite the councillors’ repeated requests.
“The issue was brought up again during last week’s plenary, on Tuesday, March 8th, 2022. I demanded copies as Chairman of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriations.
How can the TLG present the council’s income and expenditures without copies of the report?” “He slapped me and I didn’t know what to do; his thugs were all over the place.”
That’s when it hit me and the rest of the councillors that the legislative arm’s leader had been following the chairman’s script all along.” When contacted, Governor replied he didn’t have anything to say and hung up.
Jude Isicheli, the Speaker of the House, also dropped the phone and declined to comment on the matter. 13 councillors, who are opposed to the chairman’s leadership style have purportedly petitioned the Delta State House of Assembly to investigate the event.
