Why Cross River Speaker Was Impeached

Cross River State Speaker, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem has been impeached.

The impeachment, which took place between 8 am and 9 am on Wednesday had 17 legislators, out of twenty-five members (including the Speaker) moving a motion against him.

It was gathered that Effiong Ekarika from Calabar South 1 moved the motion to remove the Speaker while Charles Omang from the Bekwarra state constituency supported the motion.

Our correspondent was told that the grounds for impeachment included gross financial misconduct, incompetence, non-compliance with legislative laws, and failure to convene leadership meetings as the grounds for his removal.

According to a source from the Assembly who appealed for anonymity, “the first ground of impeachment includes gross financial misconduct, involving the misappropriation of funds, including N48 million meant for NEPA bills and over N404 million from the Internal Revenue Service designated for oversight functions.

“Additionally, nearly N20 million from local government deductions remained undisclosed to the members, raising serious concerns about the transparency and integrity of the Speaker’s financial dealings.

“The second ground of incompetence and wrong conduct of plenary proceedings highlights a departure from parliamentary norms. The Speaker’s method of appointing members to move or second motions, rather than following the democratic practice of allowing members to volunteer, has been criticized as un-parliamentary and indicative of a broader disregard for due process.

“Noncompliance with legislative laws forms the third ground for Ayumbem’s removal. His arbitrary approval of expenditures beyond his authorized limit and the refusal to inaugurate the Legislative Funds Management Committee stand in clear violation of the Cross River State Legislature Funds Management Law of 2021. This disregard for the law has not only undermined the legislative process but also eroded the trust placed in his leadership.

“The fourth and final ground is the total failure to convene leadership meetings, with only one such meeting held in the past 11 months. This lack of engagement has been perceived as a neglect of duty and a failure to foster collaborative governance within the House,” the source claimed.

The Speaker’s line was busy and when it finally went through, he busied the line

His media aide, Mathew Okache didn’t pick up his calls when our Correspondent called repeatedly.

Our correspondent, however, was told by a Politician in the state that “there’s a political undertone in this impeachment.”

He said: “The governor has been in Abuja since last week. Can an impeachment take place without the governor’s knowledge? Just last week, President Ahmed Bola Tinubu made appointments to federal boards and many of them were supporters of Owan-Enoh, the Minister of Sport. I think Elvert is Owan-Enoh ‘s supporter.

“The governor is still in Abuja and the Lawmakers impeached the Speaker in his absence. I think something is missing somewhere,” he said.

This is the first time that a Speaker in the state has been impeached.

Source: NewTelegraph