Suspend commissioner now, Abia Assembly urges Ikpeazu

The face-off between members of Abia State House of Assembly, Umuahia and Abia State commissioner for trade and investment, Dr Cosmos Ndukwe has continued, with the call for Ndukwe’s suspension by the state legislators.

The House, rising from its plenary session on Monday, October 12, where it considered the interim report of its ad-hoc committee on Ekeoha shopping centre, Aba, recommended the suspension of Dr Cosmos Ndukwe as a commissioner by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

The report, named “The indiscriminate erection of stalls in Ekeoha shopping centre, Aba, a genocide waiting to happen” was part of the report submitted to the House for consideration by the Honourable Munachim Alozie (PDP Ugwunagbo) led 4-man committee.

The House also recommended the suspension of Mr Friday Dimiri, the Chairman of Ekeoha shopping centre, Aba as well as the chief security officer of the market, for their alleged roles in the crises rocking the market as a result of the alleged erection of substandard stalls around the market.

Recall that a group of suspected thugs last week, attacked some members of the Abia State House of Assembly, who were at the market to carry out on-the-spot investigation of the market.

The House members on arriving the market had insisted on inspecting parts of the market to ascertain the truth or otherwise of the petition written against Ndukwe and Dimiri by some ‘concerned traders’.

It was gathered that the market Chairman, Dimiri had insisted on leading the House members around the market, an offer the legislators rejected, resulting in a shouting game between the two parties.

But sooner had the lawmakers stepped around the market than a group of suspected thugs numbering over 10 attacked them, throwing stones and sachet of water on the legislators, thereby forcing them to escape from the market and head back to Umuahia, in anger.

As at the time of this report, neither the state commissioner for information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Onyebuchi Ememanka or the Public Relations Officer of ministry of trade and investment, simply identified as Mr Innocent, had reacted to the suspension matter.