The Enugu State Waste Management Authority (ESWAMA) has denied allegations by the Civil Rights Realization and Advancement Network (CRRAN) that its staff attacked and injured two security men at a residential house in Enugu while carrying out an enforcement operation.
A statement signed by the Managing Director of the Authority, Mr Dom Okonkwo described the allegations as ‘false and mischievous’ lamenting that two members of its staff were now unjustly facing prosecution on the strength of the allegations.
He said the allegations were part of a smear campaign being mounted by some people in the state against his agency in a bid to discredit it and prevent it from carrying out its lawful duties.
Giving the agency’s side of the story, Mr Okonkwo, said that contrary to the allegations, two of its staff who had gone to a residential house at Independence Layout, Enugu, to enforce sanitary laws of the state, were actually the ones that were attacked by two security men working in the house.
The ESWAMA Staff, he said, had upon being attacked, followed standard procedure and reported the incident at the Independence Layout Police Station adding that a police unit was promptly dispatched to arrest the two security men whom according to him, however escaped before they could be arrested.
The ESWAMA boss said that he was later to learn, much to his surprise, that the police detained his men and charged them to court on charges of assaulting and injuring the security men.
He said, “What happened came to us a shock and a surprise because the case was properly incidented by my staff and the police even went with them to arrest the security men who attacked them but they (security men) escaped. How the story was twisted and my staff suddenly became the suspects and later accused persons in this matter, remains a mystery to me”.
Meanwhile, the Enugu State Government has restated its stand against abuses by its agencies and personnel, warning that anyone caught engaging in such acts, will face severe punishment.
In a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr G.O.C Ajah, the government said that it neither condones nor encourages abuses or any form of rascality by any of its agencies in the conduct of their official duties.
He recalled that that the government had, pursuant to this stance, recently suspended the collection of fines for traffic offences in the state following complaints from members of the public. He noted that the action has continued to earn the government plaudits from civil rights organizations and development partners.
The statement however noted the tendency of some people in the state, to use any opportunity to seek to discredit the administration, through negative stories planted in the media.
It however stated that the government was unfazed and undaunted by such efforts adding that instead, the government remained fully focused on discharging its obligations to the people of Enugu State.
The statement reads in part, “We are not unmindful of the tendency for some disgruntled elements in the state to plant negative stories in the media and to twist and blow things out of proportion all in a bid to discredit the government. The government however states that it remains unfazed and undaunted by these unwarranted acts but is instead, fully focused on discharging its obligations to the people of Enugu State”.
