Francis Sadhere
Udu Local Government Area Transition Committee Chairman, Mr. Raymond Edijala today, attacked a Vanguard Newspapers Senior Photographer, Akpokona Omafuaire, for daring to say that the council boss was carrying out selective illegal caravan destruction during the special environmental Sanitation ordered by the State Special Sanitation Committee.
The ugly incident occurred at Ovwian Community while the committee members were on enforcement drive.
The Udu Council Transition Chairman and his thugs, rained verbal insult and physical assault on the Vanguard Reporter and ordered him to leave the council area and never to come back again.
But for the timely intervention of the Chairman of the Sanitation Task Force Chief Frank Omare and other members of the Committee who came to save the situation from degenerating, the Chairman’s thugs were already spoiling for war.
Narrating his ordeal in the hands of the council boss and his thugs, Omafuaire said, “I was in company of other journalists along with the committee leadership to see the level of compliance, when we got to Udu, residents were complaining that the Council Chairman (Edijala) was carrying out selective illegal caravan destruction and Omare ordered that all illegal structures there be pulled down against the wish of Edijala.
“As I chatted with a colleague that the state government is ready to crush all illegal structures, Edijala pounced on me saying, ‘who are you? What are you saying; this is my council, get out here now.”
“Before I could say Jack Robinson, he seized me, called me idiot, foolish, and shoved me that I must go back, all my efforts to explain to him fell on deaf ears. Next thing I saw he seized an iron rake and made an effort to shatter my head with it. A colleague seized it from him as his political thugs threatened that they will kill me if they see me in Udu again.
“Edijala boasted that he does not want to ever see me in Udu again as his boys pushed and hit me on the back while Chief Omare, Chief Ben Igbakpa, Chief Olori Magege, Michael Ikeogwu, NUJ Warri Correspondents Chapel Chairman and others battled hard to extricate me from their holds. The timely intervention of Omare, military, journalists and others saved me, as the thugs gathered to wreck havoc.”
Condemning the unwarranted attack on Omafuaire, NUJ Warri Correspondents Chapel Chairman, Comrade Michael Ikeogwu, and DBS NUJ Chairman, Comrade Felix Eku, who witness the show of shame in a statement said, “We condemn the unwarranted attack on our colleague who never did any harm but was on a lawful duty. It is unheard of that a council Chairman could condescend to this level.
“We will take the issue up and pursue it to a logical conclusion because it was an unfortunate one, most especially the threat that he should not be seen in Udu again. We will not fold our hands and allow this unwholesome attitude of Edijala to stand.
“Who knows what would have happened if Omare and others were not there? The thugs were ready to do any harm just to please their master. We are really surprised that a council Chairman could display such unacceptable behaviour to the glare of thousands of people who were watching.”
It could be recalled that Edijala has also fought a member of the special sanitation committee last week due to his selective handling of removal of illegal structures. Sources said that Edijala has a committee which collects special levy from the illegal occupiers hence his is peeved that Omare was carrying out total compliance.
