In a dramatic turn of events, the Chairman of Egor Local Government Council in Edo State, Hon. Eghe Ogbemudia, and the council’s Vice Chairman, Hon. Frank Osawe, have been impeached by the legislative arm of the council. The impeachment, which took place on Friday afternoon, was led by the new legislative leadership under Hon. Kelvin Eguakun as Leader.
The impeachment proceedings were formally documented in the Edo State Government Gazette, citing four charges of alleged gross misconduct against Ogbemudia and Osawe. These charges include abuse of office, financial misappropriation, unlawful withholding of statutory allowances, and budget padding.
According to reports, the councilors took the decision to impeach the chairman and vice chairman after alleging that they had padded the council’s supplementary budget to the tune of N1.7 billion. The councilors also accused Ogbemudia of corrupt activities and failing to involve them in the preparation and approval of the council’s supplementary budget.
With the impeachment of Ogbemudia and Osawe, Hon. Kelvin Eguakun, the Leader of the Legislative Arm, has been sworn in as the acting chairman of the council. The development has sparked reactions from various stakeholders, with some accusing the Edo State Government House of interfering in the internal affairs of the local government council .
The impeachment proceedings were conducted in line with the recently enacted Egor LG Bye-law on Pre-Action Notice, Legislative Privileges, and Impeachment Proceedings For Elected Council Officials, 2024. The councilors have called for transparency, accountability, and good governance in the running of the local government council.
