Elvert Ayambem, the speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, was impeached on Wednesday by 17 of the 25 members present.
A vote of no confidence on the flood of the Assembly is followed by the impeachment.
Omang Omang of the Bekwara state constituency seconded the motion, which was made by Effiong Ekarika of Calabar South 1.
Earlier, the 17 had signed a petition criticizing the Speaker. Hilary Bissong, Pius Ashakia, Effiong Ekarika, Egbe Abeng, Ova Agbor, Martin’s Achadu, and Victor Nsa are among them.
Francia Ogban, Bassey Effiong, Eyo Bassey, Thomas Aruku, Charles Omang Omang, Stanley Nsemo, Kingsley Ntui, Okon Owuna, Samuel Neji, and Cyril James are among the other signatories to the impeachment.
Four reasons were given by the parliamentarians for their decision to remove the speaker from office.
Among the reasons for his dismissal include flagrant financial misbehavior, incapacity, disregard for legislative decrees, and neglect to call leadership meetings.
The legislators charged him with wrongdoing after he failed to account for N48 million intended for electricity bills and more than N404 million from the Internal Revenue Service allotted for supervision duties.
They further claimed that N20 million in deductions from local governments have not been explained by the Assembly leadership.
He was also accused of incompetence and improper plenary procedure conduct by those who filed the impeachment.
They also charged him with selecting members to make motions and second them, instead of letting members offer their services as a democratic procedure.
Legislators were incensed that Ayambem had broken parliamentary laws.
According to them, he also disregarded the establishment of the Legislative Funds Management Committee and arbitrarily approved expenditures that went beyond his permitted budget, in violation of the Cross River State Legislature Funds Management Law of 2021.
The sole leadership meeting that was convened in the previous 11 months becomes the fourth and final basis for his impeachment.
“This lack of engagement has been perceived as a neglect of duty and a failure to foster collaborative governance within the House.”
The opposition MPs said that the former Speaker’s reputation was further damaged by the Internal Revenue Service records and pictures of an opulent home that was purportedly being built with money that was embezzled.
Ayambem has spearheaded the charge in recent months to criticize, investigate, and make fun of former governor Prof. Ben Ayade due to his purported mismanagement of public funds, concessions of industries he constructed for himself and associates, and his style of governing.
Additionally, he found State assets, cars, and tractors that he said Ayade and his officials had stolen.
