Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Umahi, has said he personally encouraged the police to arrest all those who allegedly stripped and brutalised a 15-year-old girl, Uzoamaka Chukwu, in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area.
Umahi, while swearing in four Development Centre coordinators, described the act as inhuman.
He said, “I watched the video online and I felt so terrible about it. It is very inhuman to have so acted. I personally directed the Police to arrest and prosecute all those who were involved.”
Uzoamaka, a JSS 2 student was penultimate week stripped naked, dragged around on the floor and flogged under on the alleged orders of the Coordinator of Ohaozara Development Centre, Mr. Ogbonnaya Ene Odii, for allegedly having sex with a man.
Inferring to calls on him to either suspend on sack Odii, he said, “I will react when the Police have finished their job. We condemn that (brutalisation of the girl) in totality and we encourage the law enforcement agencies further to conclude their investigation and accordingly charge those found culpable.”
The governor also condemned the killing of a young man from Uburu by people suspected to be men of vigilance group in Isu, Onicha Local Government Area of the state.
He consequently directed the Onicha LGA Chairman , Mrs. Elizabeth Onwe, and the Coordinator of Onicha DC, Engr. Felix Ogbonnaya Igboke, to explain to him why his order banning the existence of vigilance groups in the state was defied.
Umahi said, “The chairman of the Local Government Area will have to answer to me and of course the Coordinator, Ogbonnaya Igboke. They must answer to me because I directed that there will be no vigilante for now. They have to explain to me why the vigilantee was allowed to the extent of killing somebody.”
The governor advised political office holders not to be carried away by the euphoria of their positions by taking laws into their hands
He reiterated that his administration would instil discipline among the people, especially political office holders in the state
He also warned the various development centre coordinators not to allow children who are eligible to be school to roam around during school hours
“Every child in all development centers must be in school, if I see a child that is supposed to be in school and not there during school hours, I will find out who is the coordinator of that area and take necessary action,” Umahi added.
Umahi, who used the occasion to appreciate his deputy, Dr. Kelechi Igwe, for holding the state together while he was out of the country, charged those in position of authority to discharge their duties within the limits of the law.
He directed LG chairmen to monitor general hospitals, secondary schools and state as well as Federal Government projects within their localities and report back to government.
Umahi, who used the occasion to appreciate his deputy, Dr. Kelechi Igwe, for holding the state together while he was out of the country, charged those in position of authority to discharge their duties within the limits of the law.
He directed LG chairmen to monitor general hospitals, secondary schools and state as well as Federal Government projects within their localities and report back to government.
The newly sworn in DC coordinators are Prince Jerry Ajah(Okposi); John Nwankata(Mbeke); Ogbonnaya Oti(Onicha West) and Agwu Okorie(Edda West).
