Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, on Friday, set up a seven-man committee to investigate the alleged clash between the Chairman of Ohaukwu Local Government Area, Clement Odah and a Lawmaker, Chinedu Onah.

The Committee is headed by former Ambassador to Greece and former Minister of Culture and Tourism, Frank Ogbuewu. Onah representing Ohaukwu south state constituency in the state Assembly had clashed with the Chairman at the state Assembly complex in Nkaliki on Wednesday.

This followed the dropping of four nominees from the Council from the list of Management Committee members from the 13 local government areas of the state sent to the house for screening. Management Committee members are appointees of the state government who are to serve in the local government areas.

The nominees for the positions were sent to the Assembly by the governor for screening and confirmation. But four nominees from Ohaukwu Local Government Area were stepped down by the House during the screening forcing the council Chairman, Odah to approach Onah to know the cause.

Odah and Onah had issues at that point and the council chairman allegedly slapped the Lawmaker. The House of Assembly the same Wednesday during a plenary alleged that Mr. Odah slapped the Lawmaker in the Committee Room of the Assembly Complex and called for his arrest.

It also set up its own committee to probe the incident. But Odah had denied slapping the Lawmaker in a reaction on Wednesday. While inaugurating the committee on Friday, Governor Umahi said the Committee has been carefully selected to ensure neutrality.

He said the Committee has 14 days to conclude the work and send in its report. Mr Umahi condemned the Chairman for going to the House of Assembly in the first place.

He said: ‘Let me condemn seriously the behavior of the Chairman of Ohaukwu in going into House of Assembly in the first place. I don’t want to talk about what happened there but that is very very wrong.

“Imagine if an Assembly member goes into the office of a Commissioner to quarrel. Not to talk about the hallowed chamber of the House of Assembly. It is what you call your wife or husband that he or she will be”.

“So everywhere in the world, the parliament chamber is always a sacred place that people don’t desecrate. That is why we have set up a neutral committee to investigate what happened and report back to me.”

“I want the house to be patient, the public should be patient let’s get to the root of the matter and then we will handle it as it should be.”

Other members of the committee are former Deputy Governor Chigozie Ogbu, former Minister of State for Health, Fidelis Nwankwo, and a former Minister for Power, Goddy Ogbaga.

Others include the current Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) Hycinth Okpor and Prof Michael Awoke. Chief Dominic Aja will serve as the Secretary of the Committee. (Vanguard)

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