By bembe mathias
Guests and onlookers at a popular hospitality outfit in Owerri the Imo state capital could not believe their eyes when a serving House of Representatives member from Owerri zone, (names withheld) was thoroughly humiliated in the public.
The venue of the showdown was a reputable hotel that has become a dwelling place for most first class personalities residing and visiting Owerri in recent time. The five star hotel which seems to have taken over the shine from the state government owned Concorde Hotel, Owerri is located in the heart of the town.
Trumpeta reporter who observed the scene noticed that on the said day, the victim of the attack, a serving Lawmaker of one of the federal constituencies in Owerri had as usual arrived the hotel and berthed his vehicle at the waiting car park and somehow refused to give way to others. Meanwhile, a repentant militant and former warlord on the Creeks of Niger Delta on a visit to Imo was said to be around the hotel and wanted to also use the space the Imo-born lawmaker parked his vehicle. The ex-militant warlord (names withheld) reportedly became furious over the attitude of the lawmaker. Within split of seconds, the angered Niger Delta kingpin was said to have ordered his aides who also clustered around him to “handle” the Lawmaker.
Oblivious of the identity of the Lawmaker that is presently in the race to grab his party’s ticket for a second missionary journey to the lower chambers of the National Assembly, the aides of the former warlord descended on the lawmaker and rained slaps on the face of the lawmaker thereby giving him public assault.
The action caught onlookers and the hotel management unawares as the attack came in quick succession before the ex-militant and his retinue of “Boys” moved away from the scene. Attempts to speak to the lawmaker and the hotel management was futile as the charged situation was not conducive for press interviews.
However, what surprised everybody around was that rather than retaliate such an open assault, the Lawmaker, who is naturally arrogant and usually abrasive disappeared, for fear of the unknown.
When he was later told the identity of the man he was dragging a parking space with, the Lawmaker took to his heels and drove off from the Hotel premises.
However, onlookers were piqued how a Creek WarLord could come to Imo up land and insult a senior Lawmaker in his own father’s land without a whimper, even from “Home Boys”.
But those who even attempted to ask questions were told to calm down, that the assaulted Lawmaker does not warrant such a solidarity, because not only that he is arrogant, he only cares about himself, since he got the opportunity in 2011 to represent a chunk of Owerri zone in the Green Chamber.
