- Speaker’s Many Sins
- External Influence Suspected
Wednesday’s impeachment of the speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Elvert Ayambem has thrown up some conjectures, including the suspicion that the speaker may have completely lost followership.
There is yet another conjecture, that the some external forces may have influenced the decision to deal with the speaker who has been consistent in probing a former governor’s activities. But it could not be confirmed if the former governor had a hand in the speaker’s removal.
Ayambem was removed by 17 out of 25 of his colleagues on allegations of high-handedness, misappropriation of funds and alleged sharp practices. According to the lawmakers, the sacked speaker was currently building a mega house in the state capital, when many of the members were hungry.
According to a document obtained by TNN, the speaker was accused of misappropriating the sum of N48 million which was meant for the payment of NEPA bills. He was also accused of misappropriating the 2 per cent deductions from the state’s IGR meant for the oversight activities of the members.
They also accused him of what they called his unparliamentary conduct in presiding over the affairs of the Assembly, as well as the non-compliance with the state legislature funds management law.
The drama started after Effiom Ekarika who represents the Calanbar South 1 constituency rose to raise an issue of urgent importance. In talking about this, Ekarika had made reference to what happened to him during a sea trip.
From there, he moved to complain about how insensitive the speaker had been to the plight of members and noted that the members were not happy with him and underscored wny the speaker must leave office.
His position was seconded immediately by Charles Omang Omang from Bekwarra. Omang had barely taken his seat after seconding the motion for the speaker’s removal, when Ekarika rushed towards the mace but was blocked by the sergeant-at-arms.
Ekarika was to push him away, before taking over the mace and getting away with it. As the lawmaker took off with the mace, the sergeant-at-arms was struggling to get up from the floor.
In a twinkle, other members brought out their flags in solidarity with Ekarika, who was to later drop a copy of their signed removal notice on one of the tables.
The angry lawmakers later addressed the media, where they defended their action and said the speaker was greedy and inconsiderate.
As at Wednesday afternoon, there were multi-level talks with the lawmakers on the issue. TNN learnt that some officials of the executive were also engaging the lawmakers, with a view to finding a solution to the impasse in the Assembly.
A new speaker was yet to be named by the lawmakers as at press time on Wednesday.
Only recently, Ayambem had raised the alarm over what he called the ‘huge’ debt left behind by a former governor, Ben Ayade. He said the debt, occasioned by frivolous loans and phantom industries initiated by the Ayade’s administration had overburdened the Senator Bassey Out administration.
He was quoted as saying that “we understand that Governor Bassey Otu is going through a lot because of the loans obtained by Ayade. That is our worry too. I wish the governor we have today came and met a loan that he can repay, it would have helped a great deal. You know he is trying to finish the International Cargo Airport in Obudu initiated by Ayade,” he said
He had added: “I have told the governor that it’s not every of the Ayade projects that he should give a listening ear to. This is because we discovered lately that almost all those that are viable were concessioned two days before Ayade left office. And Ayade concessioned them to his friends and family members.
“No dime was paid to state coffers” in the concession deals. I can tell you that in all of these projects, you hear about concessions, no dime was paid into Cross River State Government coffers. Not one dime. Prove me anywhere, not one dime was deposited into the Cross River State account.
“We had a meeting with Transcorp, they could not account for a dime that was paid to Cross River State Government yet it was sold it outright. Look at the Garment Factory, the Ogoja Rice Mill, and all of that, all of those industries have been concessioned but there is no document anywhere that shows that a dime was deposited into Cross River State Government coffers. Not a dime.”
