The Cross River State House of Assembly has removed the Vice Chairman of Ogoja Local Government Council, Emmanuel Idi Yakubu, over allegations of gross misconduct.
The impeachment was carried out despite a court order asking the lawmakers not to take such action.
Yakubu had earlier gone to a State High Court to stop the Assembly from carrying out the removal process.
He asked the court to restrain the lawmakers from acting on the matter while the case was still before it.
Despite this move, the Assembly continued with the process and removed him during plenary on Tuesday.
The decision was reached after a voice vote.
Nineteen lawmakers supported his removal, one member did not take a position, and five members were not present during the sitting.
Before the vote was taken, the House considered a report from its Committee on Judiciary, Public Service Matters, Public Petitions and Conflict Resolution.
The report was presented by the committee chairman, Davies Etta, who also serves as Deputy Leader of the House.
While presenting the committee’s findings, Etta recalled that the Ogoja Legislative Council had earlier issued an impeachment notice against Yakubu over claims of gross misconduct.
The allegations against him included abandoning his duties, failing to respect constituted authority and established rules, breaching his oath of secrecy, and not maintaining a working relationship with the Council Chairman.
Etta explained that in line with Section 14 subsection 3 of the Cross River State Local Government Law and based on a previous House resolution, the Assembly had suspended Yakubu for ninety days to allow for a detailed investigation into the claims.
According to him, the committee held an investigative hearing which was attended by the Leader of Council, Elizabeth Mbim, ward councillors, and the Director of General Services and Administration who represented the Head of Local Government Administration. They all gave their testimonies before the committee.
The committee noted that Yakubu did not appear at the hearing.
He had written to request a new date, saying he was unwell.
However, he was later seen at a political rally where he announced his defection from the All Progressives Congress to the African Democratic Congress.
Etta told the House that the committee concluded that Yakubu was no longer loyal to the office he was elected into, as he had left the political party under which he won the election and was now working with another party.
The committee said this action went against Section 20 subsection 1 of the Cross River State Local Government Law 2007 as amended.
The panel also found that his troubled relationship with the Council Chairman and members of the Legislative Council showed disregard for constituted authority and amounted to gross misconduct.
During debate, several lawmakers said the situation was affecting the smooth running and development of Ogoja Local Government Council.
The sitting was presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Sylvester Agabi, who said the Assembly remained committed to ensuring that local governments in the state are run in line with the law.
He directed Yakubu to hand over all government property in his possession to the most senior civil servant in the council.
