The Cross River State House of Assembly has reinstated its speaker, Elvert Anyambem, who was recently impeached on grounds of high-handedness and financial impropriety.
During the assembly’s sitting on Tuesday, Cyril Omini, representing Yakurr I Constituency, moved a motion passing a vote of confidence on the speaker, which was supported by Kingsley Ntui, representing Etung Constituency.
Recall that 17 out of the 25 members of the assembly signed the notice to impeach the speaker.
The members alleged that the speaker indulged in arbitrary expenditures in contravention of Section 9 (1) of the state’s Legislative Funds Management Law, 2021.
However, Governor Bassey Otu announced on Monday that he has brokered peace in the state assembly.
Otu, who announced in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Nsa Gil, that normalcy had returned to the Cross Rivers State House of Assembly, said he had a closed-door meeting with all 25 members of the assembly on Sunday night.
“They all unambiguously agreed to restore normalcy and maintain the status quo with Elvert Ayambem remaining as their speaker, ” the statement read in parts.
Also, in a statement in Calabar on Monday, Ayambem commended Governor Otu for wading into the recent crisis in the assembly.
In the statement signed by his media aide, Mathew Okache, the speaker commended Otu for showing extraordinary leadership capacity.
“I pledge my cooperation and commitment towards the growth and progress of both the assembly and the state as a whole,” the statement reads.
