A fight broke out on Monday at the council headquarters of Etche Local Government of Rivers State over the rightful person to keep the mace of the Etche Legislative Assembly.
Trouble started when the leader of the Legislative Assembly, Cynthia Nwala, attempted to take the mace out of the council headquarters and was stopped by the chief security officer of the council.
Explaining why she decided to take the mace out of the council headquarters Nwala, said “we went for seating yesterday to screen the supervisory councillors. After screening them, the councillors asked me to go with the mace because the council is under renovation and it’s not safe to keep the mace there.
“As I was leaving after the screening, the CSO went and locked the council. As I enquired to know why, he walked to me dragged me from the car tore my dress and slapped me.
“I locked the car, he went into his own car and brought a machete vandalized the car. After breaking the car he collected the mace.”
In the meantime the council Chairman, Obinna Anyawu who has been fingered in the crisis has reacted to the incident.
In a statement on Tuesday , Anyanwu said the chief security officer, Chinedu Onyeche only responded to a distress call from the councillors to retrieve the mace from the leader of the house.
He, however, claimed that the CSO did not harass anyone but only ensured that the mace was safe.
The council boss also explained that it is constitutional that the mace be kept with the sergeant at arms and not the leader.
Daily Post
