Association of Persons Living With Disabilities, Imo State chapter has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Chairman, Interim Management Committee, Ikeduru LGA, Dr. Anselem Opara to apologise to members of the association for allegedly beating up their members.
The Chairman of the Association of the visually-Impaired, Imo State chapter, aChristopher Kalu gave the order, Tuesday, while briefing newsmen in Owerri.
The association’s grievance is anchored on the inability of Opara to stop what they alleged to be the excesses of the council treasurer, Samuel Asikaogu who they alleged demanded the sum of N10,000 from one of its members, Philip Ihuoma, who was engaged and deployed to Ikeduru LGA alongside others sometime in January, 2019.
According to the chairman, trouble started when Ihuoma demanded to know why he was not payrolled since May, but the treasurer of the council area was quoted as saying that his demand must be met or he,(Ihuoma) should forget his salary.
The association further alleged that the treasurer of the council area has since reached other council areas with the view of stopping the salaries of the special citizens, citing irregular employment by the immediate past administration of Rochas Okorocha.
The association is piqued at the utterances of treasurer who they alleged, gave order to the police to manhandle them, though they extricated the police from any form of assault but insisted that staff of the council assaulted some of their members who in solidarity stormed the council for explanation on why its member should be humiliated.
One of the members of the association, Ezewanke Casmir showed journalists his badly torn dresses and bruises.
Reacting, the Chairman, Interim Management Committee, Dr. Opara, insisted that it was the special citizens that launched the attack on the members of staff. He submitted that he was rescued from their tyranny, adding that there is no iota of truth that the treasurer demanded a bribe of N10,000 for two years.
He said there was rather a circular stopping the payment of special citizens engaged by the last administration.
Opara, however, said he has given them up to January 15, 2020 to verify the authenticity of the claim that other special citizens serving in other LGAs received their salaries unhindered.
He added that he has even paid a month salary to Ihuoma with his own money just to pacify him, pending the outcome of the investigation.
NATIONAL NEWSBRAK
