IBIONO IBOM 7TH LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SET TO IMPEACH COUNCIL CHAIRMAN

…Gives Seven (7) Days Ultimatum

The 7th Legislative council of Ibiono Ibom LGA is set to impeach her council Chairman, Rt. Hon. Ekopimo Polycarp Edet.

The notice for impeachment was served today, 18th October 2023, after the plenary session where the motion was moved by the Deputy Leader, Hon. Kufre Eyo and Seconded by Hon. Idorenyin Umoren.

According to the law makers, the reason for the impeachment notice served to Rt. Hon. Ekopimo Polycarp, is as a result of gross misconduct committed by him stated as follows:

1. That Rt. Hon. Ekopimo Polycarp, deliberately refused to make public to the Legislative Council, the monthly income and expenditure statements of the Council since January 2023 till date. "Sequel to this action, you have contravene section 28, (1) (c) of the Local Government Administration Law 2017, for usurpation of powers of the Legislative Council to examine and debate the monthly statements of income and expenditure tendered to it by the Executive Chairman of the Local Government".

2. That Rt. Hon. Ekopimo Polycarp Edet set up a revenue committee with one Hon. Friday Osutuk (former Councilor) as chairman, inaugurated in January 2021 without approval by the Legislative Council as clearly stated in section 28, (1) (e) of the Akwa Ibom State Administration Law 2017.

3. That Rt. Hon. Ekopimo Polycarp Edet set up the Environmental/Sanitation committee inaugurated on June 23rd 2021, without the consent and approval by the Legislative Council. This is without doubt gross misconducts within the contemplation of the Local Government Administration Law 2017, Section 28, (1) (e).

4. That Rt. Hon. Ekopimo Polycarp Edet has siphoned more than (N35,600,000.00) Thirty five million, six hundred thousand naira from the Local Government coffers for the Re-constitution of Ikpa Pavilion at the old Secretariat, Ikpa. When actually the project is funded 100% by the Public Complaint Commission, a department of the Federal Government with project signpost conspicuously hoisted at the project site as client and Digital Lifestyle Limited as contractor and not Ibiono Ibom Local Government as misrepresented by you. This action tantamounts to outright embezzlement/misappropriation of funds.

5. That Rt. Hon. Ekopimo Polycarp Edet presented a fake and incorrect income and expenditure statement by presenting two different income and expenditure statements for the month of January 2021.

6. That Rt. Hon. Ekopimo Polycarp Edet diverted the total sum of money allocated to Ibiono Ibom Local Government from the State Joint Local Government Account in the month of February, 2022 despite much persuasion and entreaties. An act which implies gross misconduct within the content of the Local Government Administration Law 2017.

7. That Rt. Hon. Ekopimo Polycarp Edet directly and personally collected the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from revenue agents with the following Account details: Bank Name: Ecobank, Account No: 2341024964, Account Name: Ekopimo Polycarp Edet, from December 2020 till April 2023. Instead of payment into the Local Government Council treasury as directed by Law despite much persuasion by the legislative council.

8. That Rt. Hon. Ekopimo Polycarp Edet have demonstrated high handedness in your administration, characterized by unilateral decisions, lack of recourse to extant rules and regulations and power intoxication.

9. That Rt. Hon. Ekopimo Polycarp have refused to release money for the execution of constituency projects as captured in the 2021 and 2022 budgets of Ibiono Ibom Local Government Council, even when no capital project has been executed in the local government area so far.

10. That Rt. Hon. Ekopimo Polycarp Edet have refused to attend to staff and public servants welfare.

11. That Rt. Hon. Ekopimo Polycarp Edet have persistently refused to tender before the Legislative Council minutes of monthly Finance and General Purpose Committee (FGPC) meetings of Ibiono Ibom Local Government as contemplated by section 28, (1) (f) of the Local Government Administration Law (2017).

12. That Rt. Hon. Ekopimo Polycarp Edet removed more than 7 million. naira for road grading and installation of electric poles respectively for Ibiono Ibom southern region in January 2023 and up till date nothing has been done in those areas.

13. That Rt. Hon. Ekopimo Polycarp Edet are operating with budget proposals and not budgets.

14. That Rt. Hon. Ekopimo Polycarp Edet has not given an accent to budgets before.

Against the backdrop of offences herein catalogued, Rt. Hon. Ekopimo Polycarp Edet is requested to make his presentations with reference to laws supporting his responses.
Sequel to the notice, Polycarp is given an ultimatum of 7 days to reach out to the Legislative leader with ethe following:

1. Proof of of the total funds disbursed to the Local Government Account from December 2020 to date.

2. The financial statements of Account of Ibiono Ibom Local Government from 7th December 2020 till date..

3. Proof of total expenditure of Ibiono Ibom Local Government Council

for the period of 7th December 2020 to date, including list of capital projects of the Council within the period. 4. Payment vouchers for each project mentioned above as well as the contract Agreements.

5. The total amount realized from internally generated revenue within the period under request of proof of expenditure.

6. Job order for the re-construction of Ikpa pavilion, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State between the client (public complaint commission) and the contractor (digital lifestyle limited) 7. Job order for the re-construction of Ikpa pavilion, Ibiono Ibom Local Government (client) and the contractor.

8. Bill of quantity for the reconstruction of Ikpa Pavilion approved by Ibiono Ibom Local Government Council. 9. Detailed income and expenditure statements from January 2023 to date.

10. Minutes of monthly Finance and General Purpose Committee (FGPC) meetings of Ibiono Ibom Local Government Council from December 2020 to date.

©️ Ibom News Bank