From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Leader of Etche Local Government Area Legislative Assembly, Rivers State, Mrs. Cynthia Nwala, has been battered by thugs on alleged order of the council boss.
Daily Sun gathered that the incident happened on Monday, after the legislative assembly of the council had finished sitting.
Daily Sun was gathered that the Chief Security Officer of the LGA had led the group that attacked the leader of the assembly, to retrieve the legislative mace alleged to be in possession of the assembly leader.
It was also learned that the thugs had destroyed a car belonging to the female lawmaker, and as well turned her cloth.
A source, who did not want her name in the media said: “She (Nwala) was stripped naked and her car damaged by chief security officer.
Meanwhile, the victim, Nwala, alleged that she was attacked by a security personnel of the council, adding that the legislative assembly’s mace was also taken from her.
However, the Chairman of the Council, Obinna Anyanwu, has denied that the CSO to the council attacked the female lawmaker, adding that he (CSO) only joined others within the Council to restore normalcy over clash between the lawmakers.
The chairman, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Robinson Oluor, explained that disagreement emanated between the lawmakers and that the leader of the house attempted to move away with the assembly’s mace before she was intercepted.
The statement read in part: “For the record, Hon. (Dr.) Obinna Anyanwu never directed his Chief Security Officer to harass, intimidate or assault any serving Councillor of Etche the Legislative Assembly.
“The Chief Secuirty Officer to the Council Chairman is not a member of Etche Legislative Assembly and will never be part of the internal issues of the Etche Legislative Assembly.
“It is also important to clearly state that the Chief Security Officer to the Council Chairman never attacked or harassed the Leader of the House; as he is not one of the councillors and the Etche Local Government Council leadership has much respect for the Etche Legislative Assembly.
“The information made available to the Etche Local Government Council has it that the Leader of the House, Hon. Cynthia Nwala with the assistance of a team of armed policemen and over 20 armed thugs she hired made a forceful attempt to take the ‘mace’ which is a legislative property and by administrative procedure is meant to be under the custody of the ‘sergeant-at-arms’.
“Some members of Etche Legislative Assembly who intercepted their house leader with the ‘mace’, alerted the Chief Security Officer to the Council who was presently in Okehi, quickly intervened and restored sanity between Cynthia Nwala and her fellow councillors.”
