A member of the Delta State Executive Council, Commissioner for Youth Development, Agbateyiniro Weyinmi, fondly addressed as Agbass, has reportedly slapped and punched his media aide simply identified as Toju.
Trouble started when the aide took visitor’s form to the embattled commissioner to attend to a federal government official who visited the commissioner at his office located at the Prof. Chike Edozie Secretariat built by the government of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, in Asaba.
It was learnt that the commissioner and former national president of the Itsekiri National Youth Council (INYC) lost his temper and assaulted Toju, the Media Aide.
A staff member who witnessed the altercation and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the incident disrupted a meeting between the commissioner, two of his colleagues and other officials who were shocked by how the commissioner assaulted his aide.
He said, “The incident actually happened and it was at the office of the commissioner when he was in a small meeting with two of his colleagues, two commissioners and a few other persons at the ministry in the new state secretariat, in Asaba.
“The aide only walked in to give the commissioner a visitor’s form from a federal government official waiting endlessly for the commissioner.
“As the media aide, Toju walked in with the form straight to the commissioner so as to attend to the federal government official on time. Before we knew what was happening, the commissioner gave the aide a very dirty slap and followed it up with blows to his face. We were all shocked.
“It was really an embarrassing moment and we don’t really expect the commissioner to be involved in such a public disgrace by throwing decorum to the wind.”
Another staff member of the ministry who also spoke on condition of anonymity said: “The story is true, sir. We were all there when it happened.
“The federal government official who visited the commissioner that earned the aide that dirty slap and blows, was the Delta State National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) coordinator who came to visit the commissioner to discuss with him an upcoming invite in the state.
“The commissioner must tender an unreserved apology to the aide and give him all the necessary tools to work with because as we talk, the media aide has no tools to work let alone his entitlements that do not come at all.
“The commissioner is a very irrational being, very pompous and proud and inhuman to the plight of his aides generally.
“I want to use the opportunity to call on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to review the appointment of the commissioner or else he will continue to give him and his government a bad name. This is a commissioner who does not bother about the welfare of his aides but lives a very luxurious life, going to night clubs and spraying money running into millions of naira there.
“But he can’t take care of the aides he brought from Warri to work with him here in Asaba. He does not deserve to be in an exalted office such as the office of a commissioner. This is a commissioner who is also bragging that the governor cannot do anything to him.
“Do you know for some time now, the governor has been delegating other officials to perform the duty of the commissioner because of his rudeness, arrogance and nonchalant attitude to official duties and the public?
“There are so many cans of worms in that ministry, so many corrupt and sharp practices; writing of fraudulent memos among others are going on in that ministry.
“The commissioner is running the ministry like a personal estate and the governor should do something fast before the commissioner drags his name into the mud. The commissioner does not recognize the state youth council rather they hire and work with community-based youth bodies, political thugs and touts. There are so many other things I can’t say now.”
Ministry sources privy to the incident confided that the commissioner had boasted that he would send his “boys” after any journalist who would dare to report the altercation between him and his aide or any other issue concerning his ministry and that such a journalist may not live to tell the story of what happened to them.
They alleged that the commissioner surrounds himself with political thugs who go about intimidating, harassing, bullying and disrespecting staff members.
SaharaReporters gathered that the incident had since been reported to the Olu of Warri and the monarch had promised to invite the embattled commissioner, who is subject to the palace.
According to SaharaReporters, when contacted, the commissioner, Weyinmi, boastfully said in pidgin English, “You see me as person wen dem dey work? You see me as person wen dem dey hustle? Please go ahead and write whatever you want to write.”
Credit: SaharaReportets
