LAWMAKERS of the Cross River State House of Assembly have impeached their Speaker, Elvert Ayambem.
He was impeached yesterday by seventeen members of the 25-member House over allegations of misappropriation of funds.
As of Tuesday, over twenty members had signed up for his impeachment before the motion for impeachment was moved on the floor Wednesday during a sitting of the house in which he was presiding.
It was moved by Effiom Ekarika representing Calabar South 1 Constituency and was seconded by Omang Charles Omang representing Bekwarra State Constituency.
The motion was thereafter unanimously supported by other members of the House present at the sitting.
Moving his motion, Ekarika stated that Ayambem had grossly indulged in administrative misconduct, high-handedness and financial misappropriation.
In the notice, Ayambem was said to have indulged in arbitrary expenditure, contrary to Section 9(1) of the state Legislative Funds Management Law, 2021.
The notice stated that he misappropriated the sum of N48 million meant for the payment of the assembly’s electricity bills.
He was also accused of misappropriating N404.6m representing two per cent of the monthly revenue collected by the state Internal Revenue Service and meant for oversight functions of the assembly.
“The Speaker misappropriated the sum of N19.4m being deductions from the local government councils which he willfully failed to disclose to members,” the notice read in parts.
After the impeachment, the mace was taken away by the members.
Elvert Ayambem, who represents Ikom 2 State Constituency, was elected Speaker of the tenth Cross River State House of Assembly in June 2023.
Eighteen-Eleven Media