"I was in the office when the Governor's younger brother came and went straight to the inner office of the SSG. Few minutes later we, started hearing raised voices. We overheard the SSG, Ovie Agas saying, 'you cannot intimidate me, you cannot intimidate me,'" a senior staff, who witnessed the scuffle in the office, said. "And before we knew it, we heard a sound of a slap and physical combat ensued. It was an unfortunate, shameful incident."
Mr. Tony Okowa, younger brother of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and Chairman, Sports Commission, was involved in a brawl with Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Festus Ovie Agas, last Thursday.
A witness told SaharaReporters that “dignity and decorum were thrown to the winds as the two officials scuffled and punched each other".
The show of shame, our correspondent learnt, took place at the office of the SSG when the Governor's younger brother went to pick up his file being treated by Mr. Agas.
SaharaReporters was told that tempers flared when the Gvernor's younger brother got to the SSG's office and discovered that his file was yet to be treated by the SSG.
Some government officials and staff in the office of the SSG, who witnessed the fisticuffs, told SaharaReporters that the shameful incident attracted several persons to the office, as both men were heard shouting on top of their voices.
"I was in the office when the Governor's younger brother came and went straight to the inner office of the SSG. Few minutes later we, started hearing raised voices. We overheard the SSG, Ovie Agas saying, 'you cannot intimidate me, you cannot intimidate me,'" a senior staff, who witnessed the scuffle in the office, said.
"And before we knew it, we heard a sound of a slap and physical combat ensued. It was an unfortunate, shameful incident. Tony's action is uncivilized and arrogant. It is a known fact that the Governor's younger brother is very erratic in nature and thinks he can intimidate everybody with his governor-brother.
"How dare you slap your fellow man, an SSG for that matter, because you are the Governor's brother? I also blame the SSG; he is fond of sitting on officials' files in his office. You must grease his palms first before he treats your files. Indeed, we are in the animal kingdom."
When contacted, the younger Okowa denied the physical brawl but claimed it was Agas who first began raining abuses on him when he went to pick up his file.
"I was at the SSG's office but there was nothing like fight or exchange of what I don't know," he said.
"I was sent by His Excellency to go and bring a file and that the file was urgent and I told him (SSG) about it. He did not treat it on time and I just told him I needed that file to take to him, His Excellency.
"Although, he got a little angry and said I could not intimidate him, I told him this is not intimidation. It is your boss that sent me to you. And then he got very very angry and said all kind of words. Well, I left the office angry. But there was nothing near fighting.
"Yes there was little exchange of words, which he started and all that, using all kind of words... that if Okowa is removed from my name I am nothing. I mean that was really insulting and was uncalled for."
As of the time of filing this report, Agas, who had earlier promised to get back to our correspondent for his reactions, had not done so.