A demonstration took place on Tuesday, Nov. 21 by workers in the Imo State Civil Service to condemn an attack on their colleague, Unegbu Chimaobi. He was allegedly assaulted while carrying out his duties in the office by Precious Izuogu, the son of Lady Rosemary Izuogu, the chairperson of the Local Government Service Commission.
Unegbu was reportedly working under the Chairman, Local Government Service Commission, LGSC, Mrs. Rosemary Izuogu. Her son, Mr. Precious Izuogu, who is reportedly not a staff of the commission, is said to spend a great deal of his time in the office and has been accused of bullying staff in the commission.
The LGSC Chairman and her son allegedly hired thugs who battered the Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the Commission, Mr. Micheal Chimaobi Unegbu, on Thursday, Nov.16th 2023 at the secretariat in Owerri. This was after Precious allegedly accused him of insulting his mother.
The attack resulted in him being admitted to a hospital.
On Tuesday, Nov. 21, workers in the Imo State Civil staged a protest against the assault. Mostly information officers, they marched from the Local Government Commission Office to the Head of Service office at the state secretariat in Owerri, holding placards bearing different inscriptions such as “Enough Is Enough,” “Civil Servants Are Not Slaves,” and “We Demand Justice.”
They decried what they alleged was the “frequent battering” of civil servants by Precious Izuogu.
Mrs. Bibian Okere, speaking on behalf of others, implored the Head of Service, Barr. Raymond Ucheoma, to investigate the matter and ensure that Chimaobi Unegbu receives justice.
In response, Barr. Raymond Ucheoma expressed gratitude towards the workers and informed the aggrieved officers of the steps taken to address the situation, stating that Unegbu was taken to the hospital for treatment and had come to present himself to him.
He further iterated the importance of their office to the government and assured that their interests and welfare would not be overlooked.