After interview snub, Umuahia North council boss calls journalists imbeciles, criminals

Journalists monitoring the Monthly Sanitation Exercise for the month of May on Saturday, fell out with the Mayor, Umuahia North LGA, Abia State, Smart Ihuoma over the latter’s comment that pressmen were imbeciles, criminals and mad people.

Trouble started when the pressmen after interviewing the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Philemon Ogbonna, member representing Ohafia South State Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Mba-Nwoko and SA to the Governor on Environment, Prof. Ijeoma Iheukwumere, snubbed the Mayor.

After interviewing the trio, Smart Ihuoma, who positioned himself to be interviewed, was snubbed by the pressmen, which angered and forced unspeakable words from him, calling the pressmen criminals, imbeciles and mad people.

The Mayor also threatened that he will ensure that the crop of journalists that covered the sanitation will not attend any state function, a statement that further angered the journalists who dared him while also telling him the reason for the snub.

The Journalists accused him of not taking care of journalists who have on different fora, publicised his activities as the Mayor of the Council without appreciation, saying he has consistently failed to acknowledge that the Journalists exist.

Hallmark Business reports that the Mayor lost his cool at some point, and wanted to attack one of the journalists, but the swift intervention of the Deputy General Manager of the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA), Catechist Ambrose Jonah prevented him from finally attacking the Journalist from Family Love FM, Umuahia.

The Mayor who repeatedly said he will ensure that none of the Journalists at the event shows up for any State event, also bragged that he had such power to do it and has also marked the faces of the Journalists at the event.