Saturday, December 28, 2024 - The legislative arms
of Egor Local Government Area of Edo State have impeached the council chairman,
Eghe Ogbemudia, and the vice chairman, Frank Osawe.
The legislators also suspended the leader of the legislative arms,
Bosede Omokaro, Majority Leader, Iwinosa Enabulele, and Elliot Inneh Enni, the
Chief Whip.
The council’s chairman and vice chairman were impeached for alleged
gross misconduct, abuse of office, financial misappropriation, unlawful
withholding of statutory allowances of a principal member and three other
council members as well as budget padding.
The principal officers of the council were allegedly suspended for
inability to collaborate effectively with the local government chairmen,
particularly in ensuring timely payment of salaries,
the two-month delay in councillors’ salaries, failure to provide
effective oversight and neglect of responsibilities.
The motion for their impeachment was moved by Nosakhare Isiegbuwa,
seconded by Stella Ogida Osagioduwa and signed by four legislators.
The suspension of the former principal officers of the legislative arms
was passed by five members, with one member absent.
The House immediately swore in Kelvin Eguakun, the leader of the
legislative arm, as the acting chairman of the council.
Moving the motion for the impeachment, Nosakhare Isiegbuwa, at plenary
on Friday, December 27, 2024, said the report submitted by the seven-man panel
appointed to probe the allegations of gross misconduct against the chairman and
vice chairman found the duo guilty of all the allegations.
In a unanimous voice vote, the councillors impeached the chairman and
vice chairman.
The impeachment proceedings were formally documented in the Edo State
Government Gazette.
The gazetted document notified the affected officials of the initiation
of impeachment proceedings in line with the Edo Local Government Bye-law on
Pro-Action Notices, Legislative Privileges, and Impeachment Procedures For
Elected Council Officials, 2024.
The impeached council chairman, Eghe Ogbemudia, is the daughter of the
late General Samuel Ogbemudia, the former military governor of the old Midwest
and Bendel states.
He was also a civilian governor of old Bendel State in 1983. He ruled for three months before the government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari was overthrown by the former military government of General Muhammadu Buhari on December 31, 1983.
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