By Ken Chiwendu
On Wednesday, Seventeen out of the twenty five members of the Cross River Assembly gathered at plenary to impeach the Speaker,Elvert Ayambem for gross misconduct
Ayambem ,who represents Ikom 2 State Constituency was elected Speaker of the Assembly on June 13 ,2023 following the proclamation by Governor Bassey Otu of the inauguration of the 10th Assembly
His tenure however,was characterised by alleged misappropriation of funds, incompetence, highhandedness and wrong conduct of plenary proceedings.
Current matters learnt that the plot to remove Anyambem had been on for months as members have been expressing misgivings at his conduct and modus operandi.
The Seventeen members had signed up for his impeachment and the motion for his removal was moved on the floor of the House by the member representing Calabar South 1, Hon. Effiong Ekarika and seconded by Charles Omang.
His Impeachment led to a rowdy session of the house where the seizure of the maze was a prime target by a lawmaker on the side of the Impeached speaker.
After his Impeachment, a detachment of security teams including the police and the DSS barricaded the Assembly complex to maintain law and order
Ayambem’s road to Impeachment after nearly one year in office as Speaker began after seventeen lawmakers disgusted by his style of leadership crafted and served him an Impeachment notice.
In the impeachment notice, the lawmakers alleged that the impeached speaker misappropriated N48 million meant for the payment of electricity bills of the assembly complex and quarters.
The aggrieved legislators also alleged that Ayambem misappropriated 2 percent of all revenue collected by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) monthly to the tune of N404 million and slammed other areas of gross misconduct on the Impeached speaker.
“Misappropriation of the sum of N19,437, 844.00 (Nineteen Million, Four Hundred and Thirty-Seven Thousand, Eight Hundred and forty-five Naira) from Local Government deduction and 11 months deductions which he allegedly failed to disclose to members,” the impeachment notice reads.
“Incompetence and wrong conduct of plenary proceedings: Un-parliamentary way of conducting proceedings.
“Appointment of members to move or second motions rather than allowing interested members to raise their hands. Non-compliance with the Cross River State Legislature Funds Management Law 2021.
“Arbitrary approval of expenditure in flagrant breach of the provisions of Section 9(1) of the Cross River State Legislature Funds Management Law 2021.
“Approvals beyond the limit which the Speaker can approve contrary to Section 9(10) of the Cross River State Legislature Funds Management Law 2021.”
The lawmakers that signed the impeachment notice included Kingsley Ntui, Okon Owuna, Samuel Neji Abang, Cyril James Omini, Stanley Nsemo, Charles Omang Omang.
Others are Thomas Aruku, Eyo Bassey, Bassey Bassey Effiong, Francis Onete Ogban, Victor Nsa, Ovat Agbor, Pius Ashas Ashakia, Martins Achadu, Effiong Ekarika, Egbe Abeng Egbe, and Hilary Bisong.
Meanwhile, Ayambem has insisted that he had not been removed from office saying what happened in Wednesday’s plenary was an orchestration by a set of hoodlums.
In a statement by his Press Secretary, Matthew Okachie hours after his Impeachment, Ayambem said ” What happened today during the plenary, when Hon. Effiong Akarika, the member representing Calabar South disrupted the session by inviting hoodlums to enter the chamber,is a ridiculous charade with no constitutional basis.
” The House is not aware of any Impeachment notice being served on anyone before the frivolous act as witnessed in the chambers ” Ayambem claimed.
