Police Arrest Commissioner For Keeping Lawmakers Waiting

Fierce looking men of the Enugu State Police command numbering more than eight yesterday arrested the state Commissioner for Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Hon. Godwin Ogenyi, for keeping members of the Enugu State House of Assembly waiting endlessly.

The action followed the resolution of the House ordering the state Commissioner of Police, Musa A. Daura to effect immediate arrest of the commissioner for keeping the lawmakers waiting when summoned to appear before the House.

Commissioner Ogenyi was said to have been informed earlier of the time their sitting would commence at the hallow chambers of the House.

Hon. Eugene Odoh, Speaker of the House, representing Igbo-Etiti state constituency, informed members of the House that the commissioner did not commit any other offence, as the arrest order was because he (commissioner) refused to appear before the House as ordered.

Our correspondent reports that the House had on Tuesday last week directed the Clerk of the House to summon the commissioner to appear before it yesterday, December 18, 2012, to explain efforts by his ministry to alleviate the sufferings of the people, especially Okada operators who were recently displaced following the ban on motorcycles by the state government.

It was also gathered that the commissioner had earlier arrived the House with all the staff of the ministry to honour the invitation and to explain the activities of the ministry in respect of its poverty reduction programmes, but was said to have left the House to collect certain documents, but could not come back until warrant of arrest was issued for his immediate arrest by the police.