The Legislative arm of Egor Local Government Area in Edo State has impeached the council’s chairman, Hon. Eghe Ogbemudia, following allegations of budget padding and other acts of corruption. The impeachment came after a vote of no confidence was passed against the chairman during a council session on Tuesday, which was presided over by the Leader of the House, Councillor Godwin Uwadiae Edigin.
During the session, Rt. Hon. Stella Ogida, the Councillor representing Ward 2, moved the motion for a no-confidence vote, citing multiple instances of gross misconduct by the chairman. She highlighted that the councillors had been without offices for ten months since their inauguration and revealed that the council’s supplementary budget had been padded by ₦1.7 billion without the councillors’ involvement in its preparation and approval.
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“This is the 10th month since our inauguration, and we, the Councillors of Egor Legislative Arm, do not have our offices. We have also uncovered the padding of the council’s supplementary budget to the tune of ₦1.7 billion. The Chairman did not involve the councillors in the preparation and approval of the council’s supplementary budget. After reviewing these actions and many other acts of gross misconduct, I want to pass a vote of no confidence on the chairman,” Ogida stated.
Supporting the motion, Hon. Ambassador Elliot Inneh, Councillor representing Ward 9, noted the council’s efforts to communicate with the chairman had been fruitless. He further disclosed that a budget proposal amounting to ₦6.054 billion was initially passed by the council, but it was later discovered that the chairman, in collaboration with the former Leader of the House, had increased the budget to ₦7.896 billion without the councillors’ knowledge.
“We have tried to reach out to the Honourable Chairman to no avail. Before us today, we have a budget proposal amounting to ₦6.054 billion that was passed through this hallowed chamber. To our greatest surprise, we found out that the Chairman, in connivance with the erstwhile Leader of the House, went behind our back and padded the budget to the tune of ₦7.896 billion,” Inneh said.
Following the discussions, the Leader of the House called for a voice vote, and the majority of the councillors agreed to the motion, leading to the impeachment of Hon. Eghe Ogbemudia.
