From: GEORGE ONYEJIUWA, OWERRI
A group, Occupy Constituencies, on Thursday, held a peaceful protest in Owerri, Imo State capital, against what it called poor representation by Sen. Samuel Anyanwu ( Imo East) at the upper legislative chamber.
Members of the group, who took to major streets in Owerri, alleged that Sen. Anyanwu has been playing politics with his constituents instead of providing effective representation for the Owerri zone.
However, Special Assistant Media to Sen. Anyanwu, Mr. Kelechi Eke, has dismissed the allegation of poor representation by the federal lawmaker.
He claimed that the protesters are not even from Owerri Senatorial zone and are uninformed about what Sen. Anyanwu has done in the last two years including the Bills that he had sponsored .
Mr. Fidel Obi, South/East Coordinator of Occupy Constituencies, who led the protest march, said that the group had decided to embark on the protest against the poor representation of the Owerri Senatorial zone by Sen .Samuel Anyanwu who is Senate committee Chairman on Ethics and Privileges.
Obi also alleged that Senator has been insensitive to plights of his constituents, stating that protest is a wake-up call on Sen. Anyanwu and others that have failed to provide effective representation for their constituents.
According to him, “We want our Sen. Samuel Anyawu to present the plight of his constituents to the National Assembly. And he should key into the change mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari and especially his anti-corruption crusade.
Adding, “but Sen. Anyanwu has been playing politics with members of this constituents rather than to provide them with quality and effective representation at the Senate”.
Obi called on senators to ask for the resignation of any of the member of the Senate with corruption charges in any court.
” Today we are calling on our senators to demand that any of the members of the senate with high profile corruption charges in court should relinquish their positions.
The group also demanded the speedy passage of the 2017 budget and sustenance of the Single Treasurer Account TSA.
Anyawu’s on media aide, Eke, who accused the protesters of being political jobbers, said that the allegations of poor representation by Senator were baseless.
According to him, ” If they are from Owerri senatorial zone as they claimed they would not be talking about poor representation because besides sponsoring several bills at the floor of the Senate. Senator Anyanwu has attracted many constituency projects, the repairs of both the Okigwe/Owerri, Umuahia/Owerri and Aba/Owerri roads was through his efforts .
He added, ” Sen.Anyanwu has also embarked on youth empowerment which is still on. So, I don’t know what they mean by poor representation and think that they are just political jobbers”.