The Speaker of Cross River State House of Assembly, Mr Elvert Ayambem, was on Wednesday morning impeached by his colleagues in the legislative arm of government at the sub nation level.
17 of the 25-member assembly removed the speaker, citing financial misconduct, incompetence, non-compliance with the Cross River State Legislature Fund Management Law 2021, and total failure to convene a leadership meeting.
In the ‘Removal Notice’ obtained by the Paradise News, the aggrieved lawmakers said, “We bring this all important Motion under matters of urgent public importance inline with Order 24 of the Rules of the Cross River State House of Assembly and pursuant to Section 92(2)(C) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as altered.
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“Having met the Constitutional requirements of two-third majority, we the under-listed members of the Cross River State House of Assembly hereby pass a vote- of-no- confidence on Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, Speaker of the House of Assembly and he is hereby REMOVED.”
Also covered in the accusations against the embattled Speaker were the misappropriation of the sum of N48,000,000.00 (Forty-Eight Million Naira) meant to pay NEPA bills for the House of Assembly complex and the House of Assembly Quarters.
Misappropriation of 2% of all revenue collected by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) monthly for oversight functions of the House of Assembly in line with Section 18(a)(i) of the Cross River State Revenue Administration Law 2011 as amended to the tune of N404,683,855.10 (Four Hundred and Four Million, Six Hundred and Eighty-Three Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fifty-Five Naira, Ten Kobo).
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.
Forces within the Assembly that orchestrated the removal of the Speaker, and who also appended their signatures to the Removal Notice are captured in the document below:
