General News
ABIA: Group Demands Arrest, Prosecution of David Ogba Onuoha Bourdex Over Assault On Ohafia Civil Servant, Kalu Elekwa
A human rights group, Abia Human Rights Initiative, has called on security operatives to immediately arrest and prosecute the Labour Party candidate for Abia North Senatorial District, David Ogba Onuoha Bourdex, over the slapping and assault of an Ohafia-born civil servant, Kalu Elekwa.
The group said the incident occurred at the Ohafia Local Government Area secretariat during Bourdex’s tenure as Caretaker Mayor of Ohafia LGA, describing the treatment of Elekwa as unacceptable and unbecoming of anyone entrusted with public responsibility.
In a statement signed by Roland Adindu Esq. and Prince Kalu Okorie on behalf of the organisation and made available to journalists on Thursday in Umuahia, the group said the incident should not be forgotten simply because Bourdex has moved on to seek another political office.
According to the group, the treatment of Elekwa demonstrated what it described as Bourdex’s “clannish and irresponsible approach to leadership,” insisting that a public official should protect the dignity of civil servants rather than intimidate or physically attack them.
“It remains disturbing that a civil servant could be slapped and assaulted at his place of work by someone occupying the highest political office in the local government at the time. Public office is a position of responsibility and trust, not an avenue to intimidate or humiliate citizens,” the statement said.
The group further declared Bourdex unfit to occupy any public office, describing him as “hot-tempered, intolerant and clannish” and accusing him of displaying what it termed “Abiriba irredentism” in his approach to public affairs.
It argued that Abia North, with its diverse communities and interests, requires leaders capable of accommodating differences and treating every constituent equally irrespective of clan, community or political affiliation.
“A man seeking to represent the whole of Abia North cannot afford to see public leadership through the narrow prism of where people come from. Abia North is bigger than Abiriba, Ohafia or any individual community. A senator must represent Arochukwu, Bende, Isuikwuato, Ohafia and Umunneochi without discrimination.
“In our assessment, Bourdex has demonstrated a temperament that makes him unsuitable for public office. He is too hot-tempered and intolerant of opposing views, and his conduct raises serious questions about whether he possesses the restraint required of someone seeking such an important position.
“Public office requires patience. It requires tolerance. It requires the ability to manage provocation without resorting to intimidation or physical confrontation. Anyone who cannot exercise that restraint should not be entrusted with greater political authority,” the group said.
The organisation said Elekwa deserved the same dignity and protection accorded to every Nigerian, stressing that his status as a civil servant did not make him inferior to any political office holder.
“Kalu Elekwa is an Ohafia son, a civil servant and, above all, a human being deserving of dignity. Imagine going to your workplace to perform your legitimate duties only to be slapped and humiliated by someone who should ordinarily protect you as the head of the local government.
“This is why we cannot pretend that what happened does not matter simply because time has passed. Leadership must be judged not only by what politicians tell the electorate during campaigns but also by how they treated ordinary citizens when they previously held power,” the statement added.
Abia Human Rights Initiative therefore called on security agencies to revisit the circumstances surrounding the incident and take appropriate action in accordance with the law.
The group maintained that political status should never place anyone beyond the reach of law enforcement agencies, adding that incidents involving the mistreatment of ordinary citizens must not be allowed to disappear without scrutiny.
“We are calling on the security agencies to immediately investigate this matter and take the necessary legal steps. Where the evidence establishes a criminal offence, Bourdex should be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
“The people of Abia North deserve leadership anchored on restraint, tolerance, responsibility and respect for human dignity. Political power must never become a licence to intimidate or humiliate ordinary citizens,” the statement said.
The group vowed to continue speaking against the abuse of citizens and what it described as divisive tendencies in public leadership, insisting that the dignity of ordinary people and the unity of Abia North must remain above individual political ambition.