Deputy leader of the House of Representatives, Leo Ogor Okuweh,
yesterday engaged the president of an Isoko youth group, Isaac Ogaga
Egbuwoku, in a physical brawl. An eyewitness told SaharaReporters that
“dignity and decorum were thrown to the winds as the two men scuffled
and punched each other.”
The fight took place at the country home of the Federal lawmaker.
SaharaReporters was told that tempers flared shortly after a public
hearing on constitutional review held at Opute Hall in Ozoro,
headquarters of Isoko North local government area of Delta State.
Several Isoko people who attended the hearing said they were
disappointed with the exercise, with one of them describing it as “a
mere political jamboree.”
Several sources disclosed that trouble brewed when the youth leader
and his followers arrived at the lawmaker’s home and demanded to be paid
for services they rendered at the hearing.
The physical brawl between the lawmaker and the youth leader lasted
five minutes before calm was restored. Among those who witnessed the
fisticuffs were the member representing Isoko North constituency in the
state house of Assembly, Tim Owhofere, a special assistant to the
Secretary of the State Government, Mike Ogwa, and the pioneer speaker of
the state assembly and current chief adviser to the state governor on
legislative matters, Emmanuel Okoro.
Two eyewitnesses said that, as soon as the Federal lawmaker and the
youth activist attacked each other, some thugs suspected to be working
for the lawmaker pounced on Mr. Egbuwoku and roughed him for engaging
their boss in a physical combat.
In interviews with a correspondent, the leaders and members of other
youth organizations who had also thronged the lawmaker’s country home
to be paid for undisclosed services at the public hearing, described the
lawmaker’s action as uncivilized and arrogant.
Numerous eyewitnesses said that the youth activist came out of the
lawmaker’s house with his shirt torn. They also suggested that he left
the compound with his followers in anger without receiving the fee that
generated the fight.
The sources said the lawmaker subsequently came out to talk briefly
with other youths waiting in his compound. “He gathered them and gave
out some money which the youths shared among themselves,” said a source.
In a telephone interview, Mr. Egbuwoku admitted that he was at the
lawmaker’s residence to fees he promised to pay the youths who rendered
security services at the public hearing of the constitution review. He
said the legislator turned around to treat him with disdain.
“Yes, [he] and I fought in his house because he lacks manner of
approach,” said Mr. Egbuwoku. He added: “The behavior of the lawmaker
who had agreed that I mobilize for him twenty youths to the arena of the
public hearing was barbaric and shocking. As a member of the lower
chambers, he ought to have comported himself in a more mature manner
rather than addressing everybody like touts working in the motor park.
Instead of releasing the money we both agreed for the youths, he was
busy ridiculing me and playing [on] my intelligence because I was in his
house.”
The youth activist said the lawmaker was lucky that his thugs were
cautioned, otherwise something terrible could have happened in the
premises.
Some of the witnesses accused the lawmaker of arrogant indifference,
alleging that he was fond of boasting that he had amassed more than a
billion naira to enable him to return to his seat in the National
Assembly whether his constituents back him or not.
The lawmaker did not answer calls made to his mobile phone nor did
he respond to text messages. However, one of his aides said it was not
true that Mr. Okuweh fought with anybody.
Source: SaharaReporters
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