From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
The Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ONICCIMA) has called on Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo to prosecute without further delay, the culprits responsible for the dehumanisation and incapacitation of its former President, Mr. Okechukwu Akaneme.
President of the Chamber, Augustine Ibeme, who spoke during a press briefing in Onitsha yesterday following the decision by the state government to offset Akaneme’s medical bills, reminded the government that the three officials of Anambra State Waste Management Authority (ASWAMA) who put Akaneme in his present critical condition had remained at large, stressing that prosecuting them would serve as a deterrent to errant contractors and government agencies.
The Chamber’s President flanked by the Director General, Stan Anyadufu; Vice President, Chinedu Nwonu and PRO, Okey Anene, appreciated the Anambra State Governor for his benevolent intervention in ordering the immediate payment of Mr. Akaneme’s hospital bills and considering his relocation to a better hospital to expedite recovery.
Ibeme further urged the state government to expedite the release of funds, expressing concern over the worsening state of Akaneme’s health and the accumulating medical bills. The Chamber called for swift action in transferring Mr. Akaneme to a better medical facility, following recommendations from medical experts.
“In line with Governor Soludo’s commitment to improving the ease of doing business in the state, the government must address recurring incidents of officials acting beyond their mandate and the illegal operations of some revenue agents,” Ibeme stated.
The Chamber also extended gratitude to various stakeholders, including the media, bloggers, the Chamber movement, organised private sector, human rights activists, and other individuals who played key roles in bringing the incident to the attention of relevant authorities.
It would be recalled that Mr. Okechukwu Akaneme, a former President of ONICCIMA and former Chairman of the Onitsha Federated Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), was rough handled few months ago by overzealous agents of the Anambra State Waste Management Authority (ASWAMA).
The ASWAMA officials, accompanied by some policemen, had reportedly claimed that Akaneme did not pay his waste utility bill and wanted to arrest him.
In the process, they locked his hands behind his neck leading to a crack in his spine which medical experts confirmed that Akaneme’s spinal cord had been 65% damaged, and would cost more than N20 million to treat him.