Aladja Community Dares Okowa, Allegedly Attack Wife’s Convoy
The wife of the Delta State governor, Dame Edith Okowa’s convoy has been purportedly ambushed by youths allegedly from Aladja community, Udu local government area of the state.
The wife of the governor who was on her usual trip of her pet programme, O5 Initiative Grassroots Medical Outreach in conjunction with Restore Sight Africa, was pounced on allegedly leaving some medical personal injured and vandalizing some vehicles.
The advance team comprises of medical personnel and other support staff of Delta State first lady, Dame Okowa’s “O5” Initiative Healthcare programme who were heading to the council in continuation of the programme in that part of the state when the incident occurred.
The governor’s wife and her team are in the past few weeks going round the 25 council areas of the state, dispensing free drugs and healthcare to rural communities with no record of security breach.
It was gathered that she had traversed 18 local government councils where the advanced team usually goes one day ahead to prepare ground before her arrival the following day.
IYC’s Clan chairman, Comrade Smart Okosu, in a statement on Monday said, “It is unthinkable for members of any community within the state to attack the convoy of the wife of the Governor of the state”, stressing that the attack on the convoy of the Governor’s wife is “an attack on the Governor of Delta State”.
IYC however, following the incident described Aladja Community as “lawless and dominated by criminal minded persons including the high level of leadership. To demonstrate the complicity of the Aladja community leadership, the attack on the convoy of the first lady was led by the Councilor representing Aladja community in the Udu Local Government Legislative Arm who works directly under the Chairman of the Udu Council Area, Mr. Jite Brown, the statement alleged.
They further alleged that the council chairman, Mr. Brown “is using government fund to sponsor the Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh communal crisis and criminal elements in Aladja Community. The way and manner the Aladja Community is behaving is as if they are above the laws of this country. We state that no community or groups of people are above the laws of the country.
“The leaders of the Aladja community who masterminded the attack on the convoy of the wife of the Governor of Delta State, Dame Edit Okowa should be brought to justice. As a result of the attack; the 05 free medical initiative which was to take place at Ogbe-Ijoh for the people of Warri South West Local Government Area was cancelled.
“It would interest the general public to know that the first lady has earlier visited eighteen local government areas in Delta State without any challenge in any of the local government areas, the statement added.
It was learnt that IYC Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Clan has called for the arrest and prosecution of the Aladja Community leaders including Mr. Jite Brown; Chairman of Udu Local Government Area, Chairman of Aladja Community; Elias Dogene, Chief T. C. Wiliki, Alhaji Dauda and other Aladja leaders who they claimed allegedly “sponsoring and encouraging the ongoing criminality in Aladja community.
“The Aladja community has become a criminal hideout with the active support of the leaders of the community and they must be brought to justice for the criminality to stop”, the statement alleged.
At press time, the media aide to 05 Initiative, one Alicia, denied the rumoured attack on her principal while calls put across to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, for comment were rebuffed.