SAN FRANCISCO, September 08, (THEWILL) – Irate PDP youths from Uwheru community, Ughelli North LGA, Delta state on Saturday lynched the Delta State Commissioner for Secondary and Basic Education, Prof Patrick Muoboghare almost to the point of death as violence broke over the inauguration of PDP executives in the area.
THEWILL can report that the commissioner’s condition is very bad as he was stabbed multiple times. He is being treated in an undisclosed hospital.
UPDATE
The inauguration of the ward executives of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Ughelli Council Area of Delta State turned nasty on Saturday as the State Commissioner for Secondary and Basic Education, Prof Patrick Muoboghare, was beaten to a pulp by Irate PDP youths from Uwheru community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state who stormed the venue .
Muoboghare who hailed from Uwheru was among other leaders of the PDP billed to witness the inauguration of the ward executives of the PDP at the party secretariat in Ughelli.
He was said to have incurred the wrath of the youths following disagreement over the list of executives billed to be inaugurated at the ceremony.
The list was allegedly manipulated and doctored to favour some leaders without any congress and Muoboghare, among others, was allegedly fingered in the manipulation.
It was gathered that the congress of the ward which ought to have held since last year as it was nationwide, did not hold in Ughelli North LGA but a list of executive was manipulated by some leaders in the area.
This development was said to have sparked off disagreement in the area leading to the delay in the inauguration exercise.
It was learnt that the subsequent death of Senator Pius Ewherido, also gave the leaders and some aspirants to the Delta Central Senatorial seat who are scheming to occupy the vacant seat of Ewherido the edge to manipulate the list and come out with a fresh list without a duly conducted congress in the area.
The commissioner, who was allegedly stabbed severally by the angry mob, was therefore ambushed as he made his way into the venue of the ceremony.
Muoboghare alongside the Delta State PDP Chairman, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi, had earlier visited Dr Steve Oru, a stanch member of the PDP and national officer of the party in his residence in Ughelli where he was entertained before proceeding to the venue.
He was said to have gone ahead of Nwaoboshi to the PDP secretariat along the Ughelli/Patani Road unaware that the irate PDP youths had laid an ambush for the party leaders.
The Commissioner was said to have been caught unaware as the mob first threw a chair at him which he dodged after which they gave him a slap and a blow which was followed by several punches before directing a devastating stab straight to his heart.
Currently lying in critical condition at the intensive care unit of the Delta State University Teaching Hospital in Oghara, the commissioner only escaped being killed but not without injuries he sustained from several machetes cut as a dagger was also said to have been directed to his heart on the clavicle after he made a side step to dodge the knive.
The Commissioner, who was said to have bleeded profusely on the ground and rescued after his security aides were able to disperse his attackers, was later rushed to a private clinic, Ufor Hospital, and then to the Ughelli General Hospital where he was transferred in an ambulance to the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara.
Dr. Steve Oru, Chief Terry Noah, Chief Fred Majemite, Chief Benson Asore and Chief Ovie Agas among others who also arrived the scene almost immediately were said to have witnessed the attack but allegedly did nothing to control the situation.
Nwaoboshi and his entourage who arrived later on quickly zoomed pass the scene when they saw the tense atmosphere and parked at a safe distance not knowing that the commissioner was down bleeding.
Sources said the member representing Ughelli Constituency 11, in the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon Rufus Edoja Akpodiete, was the only government official present at the Ufor hospital before the commissioner was taken to Oghara.
Despite the attack, the PDP leaders were said to have regrouped later and converged at the vandalised secretariat of the party where they eventually inaugurated the controversial ward executive council.
Sources said the State Deputy Governor, Prof Amos Utuama, who was later informed of the incident, immediately directed the Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Otumara, to move in and rescue the victim.
The Health Commissioner, according to sources immediately mobilised doctors at the General Hospital Ughelli to the rescue and they joined hands with the doctors at Ufor Hospital to stabilise Muoboghare until an ambulance was mobilised for his transfer to the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara.
Reacting to the incident, Chairman of grassroots politicians in Ughelli, Chief Pius Ovbije,who condemned the attack on the commissioner, however said the incident was the result of what his group had been preaching against, which is imposition of candidates.
He also condemned the party leaders’ behaviour in reacting to the incident , specifically, Chief Fred Majemite, Dr Steve Oru and Chief Terry Noah who witnessed it but never showed up at the hospital for over four hours that the Commissioner was there before he was transferred to Oghara.
“A Commissioner was stabbed right under your nose and you could not follow the Commissioner to the hospital. While we were running up and down in the hospital, they were nowhere to be found. That is not a good attitude and I condemn it. We should be our brother’s keeper,” he said.
Also commenting, the member representing Ughelli Constituency 11, in the state House of Assembly, Hon Rufus Edoja Akpodiete, said, “I really do not know what led to the violence but whatever led to such an assault that is capable of eliminating one’s life is condemned.
“No government institution can encourage such act; let the appropriate security agency do their job. You cannot run a polity with violence. No matter what the grouse was, dialogue is the only permissible way of resolving issues. I condemn that attack in its entirety. Prof Patrick Muoboghare is an illustrious son of the LG who has served Delta State diligently and will continue to serve. We hope such violence does not reoccur in future,” Akpodiete said
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