Women in Imo State under the aegis of the National Council of Women Societies have demanded an apology from the representative of Ahiazu Mbaise in the House of Assembly, Samuel Otuibe, for allegedly assaulting a female colleague, Uju Onwudiwe.
Otuibe was said to have attacked Onwudiwe, who represents Njaba constituency in the Assembly, with a wine bottle and glass cup following a heated argument during a meeting in Owerri recently.
In a statement, the NCWS President in the state, Lady Ijeoma Udensi, also demanded another apology for the representative of Isu constituency in the Assembly, Ngozi Obiefule, who was also allegedly attacked.
“We are once again shocked by the physical assault and molestation meted out to our two female members of the Imo State House of Assembly, Hon Uju Onwudiwe and Hon Ngozi Obiefule of Njaba and Isu State Constituency respectively.
“We find this assault on the entire women of Imo State very barbaric and a cavemen tactics of intimidation and bullying totally unacceptable in a civilised society.”
The group urged Governor Hope Uzodinma to impose a state of emergency on violence against women in the state.
It also urged the leadership of the Assembly led by Chiji Collins to make a statement “condemning the attack and to hastily pass the Violence Against Persons Protection Bill into law to protect women in the state.
Also, the Nigeria Feminist Forum asked Otuibe to sign an undertaken that no he would not assault Onwudiwe again.
At a press conference in Owerri yesterday, the Coordinator of the group, Chinonso Okechukwu, threatened legal action against Otuibe if he failed to meet their demands.
However, Otuibe insisted that he did not attack Onwudiwe, saying he had no cause to apologise to her.
GUARDIAN
