A sign post in Terekeka County. | Photo: Awan Moses/Eye Radio

The Speaker of the Terekeka Legislative Council has alleged the county commissioner closed his office in what appeared to be a misunderstanding.

Joseph Elia Nyombe he was with his council members when the commissioner came with security officers came to his office on Friday.

According to him, he stood up together with some of his colleagues and greeted the county official, but refused to shake hands with them.

It was then when commissioner George Wani allegedly asked for keys to the office and meeting hall.

Later on, Elia said, the commissioner sent some one to break the hall’s wall

Mr Elia said he wrote several letters to the relevant institutions to intervene and solve the issue but there has been no response.

‘It was exactly around 10:40 am on Friday when the commissioner came with the directors who are in charge at the county level, a national security officer in charge for the political  affairs desk, and the director of military intelligence, the police inspector and the deputy of the executive director and found me in the office.

” When he came, I was seated together with my colleague Honorable James Modi. i stood up to greet him but he refused, and simply asked about the key (to the hall).,

My colleague and I told him not to open the hall.  and he left. However,  he sent some persons and they broke the hall say it was a directive from the governor.”

In his response, the Commissioner of Terekeka County said the door of the council hall was closed when he authorized the speaker not to open it.

George Wani said his directive followed the county official’s refusal to provide for visiting judges to adjudicate courts cases.

” The council is closed and he was the one who closed it. After he wanted to open it, I told him don’t until we do training for you.

Explaining why, Speaker Wani said; “I went there last week, there’s the mobile court that always comes to Terekeka to look after judicial cases because here we don’t have judges in Terekeka.

He continued,; When I asked the speaker of the council to avail for those judges place in the office, he rejected  a directive from me. When those (he sent) reported back to , I said this is not the way.”

Terekeka County legislative council has 35 members from the different peace parties with the majority of the SPLM in the government.