The Cross River State House of Assembly has sacked Emmanuel Yakubu, the Vice Chairman of Ogoja Local Government Council, after a majority of lawmakers voted in favour of his removal on grounds of alleged gross misconduct, the assembly said in a statement on Tuesday.
The decision to remove Mr Yakubu followed allegations of serious misconduct and a breakdown in working relations with the council’s leadership.
The assembly acted on the recommendation of its Committee on Judiciary, Public Service Matters, Public Petitions and Conflict Resolution, which investigated the matters raised against the vice chairman.
Ogoja Local Government Council is one of the 18 local government areas in Cross River State. Local government vice chairmen serve as deputies to council chairpersons, working with legislative councils on administrative and governance issues.
The assembly’s statement said 19 lawmakers voted in favour of Yakubu’s removal, one abstained and five members were absent during the voice vote.
The resolution to remove him was passed in line with provisions of Section 14(3) of the Cross River State Local Government Law.
The assembly’s report said Mr Yakubu’s conduct amounted to an alleged infraction of Section 20(1) of the Cross River State Local Government Law, 2007 (as amended).
It cited his lack of cooperation with the council chairman and the legislative council as a factor in the action taken against him.
Earlier, the House had suspended Yakubu for 90 days to allow the committee to conduct a thorough investigation, the assembly said. After the committee’s assessment, the removal motion was adopted by the lawmakers.
The removal of the Ogoja LG vice chairman underscores the authority of the Cross River State House of Assembly to act on internal management and misconduct issues within local government councils.
This development will require the council leadership to proceed with organisational adjustments and ensure continuity in governance functions at the local level.
The situation also illustrates the application of legal and administrative frameworks for addressing alleged misconduct by elected local government officials, as outlined in the state’s local government law.
