Ekweremadu’s free medical project turns bloody

The project is targeted at an estimated 10,000 people in each of the five local government areas of Enugu West senatorial district. The local government areas include Awgu, Aninri, Udi, Oji River and Ezeagu. Beneficiaries of this gesture are expected to enjoy free eye treatment, free drugs, free eyeglasses and free eye surgeries. The programme […]

The project is targeted at an estimated 10,000 people in each of the five local government areas of Enugu West senatorial district. The local government areas include Awgu, Aninri, Udi, Oji River and Ezeagu. Beneficiaries of this gesture are expected to enjoy free eye treatment, free drugs, free eyeglasses and free eye surgeries. The programme commenced on November 17, 2014, in partnership with the Community Eye Savers.
But the event suddenly turned bloody on Wednesday, November 19, 2014 as more than 10 suspected political thugs, allegedly led by administrators of two development areas, stormed the St Theresa Catholic Church, Oghe, in Ezeagu Local Government Area where the caregivers were at work. They manhandled members of the team and destroyed equipment worth millions of naira. The helpless people of Ezeagu who came out en mass for the programme all scampered to save their lives.
Speaking at Mpu, Aninri Local Government Area of the State on Thursday while flagging-off the four-day project, Senator Ekweremadu vowed to fish out those behind the attack and bring them to book.
“Look at this man with me here; he was attacked and beaten mercilessly. The people who did this can run, but they will never hide. I will fish them out and jail them,” the visibly angry Ekweremadu said.
He insisted that the medical team must go back to Ezeagu so that the people would benefit from the programme, adding that the gesture would be extended to other senatorial districts in the state.
Narrating how the trouble began, the executive director of Ikeoha Foundation, Mrs. Cindy Ezeugwu told reporters that they were completely surprised by the action of the attackers since the Ikeoha Foundation is a household name in the state and the people always look forward to its medical project.
“We successfully carried out the 2014 edition of the project in Udi, Oji River, and Awgu local government areas. Ezeagu was slated for today (Wednesday, November 19, 2014). We had set up the venue with canopies, chairs and other facilities as usual. We had accredited over 600 people and attended to two elders and Igwe Sylvester Ozoekwem, the traditional ruler of Umumba Ndiuno that morning. The turnout was massive.
“Everything was going on smoothly until over 10 thugs, led by the administrator of Ezeagu North Development Area, Okwudili Onuora, popularly called Ayaya, and the administrator of Ezeagu South Development Area, Chukwudi Ezinwa Ezeagu, who is also known as Commodore, stormed the venue, a Catholic school within a Catholic Church premises, and commanded us to stop attending to the people. They said we should pack our things, but we told them we must inform the community, the people we were serving. While we were trying to explain, they descended on us and the venue, destroying the canopies, breaking the chairs, some on people’s heads. They inflicted so much injury on my people, very deep wounds and gashes. They destroyed some equipment and confiscated our cameras, tapes and memory cards. Our fundraising manager, Obiora Obasi and cameraman, Ogoo Chinedu, for instance, sustained deep cuts. Ogoo’s nose was broken and he fainted. The commotion and mayhem was just too much,” Mrs. Ezeugwu further explained.  
As the chaos raged on, the police eventually intervened and picked the two administrators, although they were released almost immediately they got to the Aguobuowa divisional station, according to Mrs. Ezeugwu.
“This particular programme was well publicised. It is something the Foundation has been into over the years to help our people. So I don’t know why anybody in his or her right senses would conceive the idea of attacking us, our partners and medical team working for the good of the poor masses. It is very unfortunate,” she added.
Ezeugwu said the project was another proof of Senator Ekweremadu’s commitment to continuously empower the people of Enugu West through initiating and carrying out visible programmes intended to better the lives of the people.
She said the free eye treatment project was designed in line with the vision 2020 mandate of the World Health Organisation, which is the “prevention of avoidable causes of blindness.”
A prominent traditional ruler in Ezeagu, Igwe Hayford Agana of Amandi Olo community, condemned the attack, saying the perpetrators were armed robbers and hoodlums. He warned that nobody would deny Ezeagu people the opportunity to benefit from this laudable gesture.
Senator Ekweremadu later held a closed door meeting with the commissioner of police in his Enugu residence.                
According to the police public relations officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, the commissioner of police, Enugu State command, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, has ordered the arrest of those behind the incident.