…Councilors at war, seek sack of Kennim Onofiok
The lingering crisis in Udung Uko Legislative council occasioned by the fraudulent activities of the Council Chairperson, Mrs. Kennim Onofiok has finally consumed the leader of the council, Mr. Effiong John Okpo when 6 of the 10 councilors in the council unanimously impeached him and elected Mr. Ita Edet Ukoh as the new leader of the legislative council.
The Councilors in a press briefing held in Uyo stated that their decision to impeach the former leader was informed by his incompetency in leading the council because of his romance with the council chairperson, which has made him sacrifice the powers and functions of the legislature on the altar of selfish gains.
The Councilors maintained that they expected what the Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio is doing in the state to be replicated in Udung Uko by the Mrs. kennim Onofiok led administration, but the reverse is the case as she has been working in collaboration with the former leader to subdue the powers of the legislature to allow the free-flow of her fraudulent activities.
They said that the council chairlady, Mrs. Kennim Onofiok has not allowed the legislative arm of the local government function in its oversight duties, to act as check and balances to what the executive is doing; adding that the impeachment of the former leader mainly is because of his role in helping the chairlady abet the crime of diverting public fund and that this, would help the council move on in its function of checking on the executive for the development and betterment of the people of Udung Uko.
The Councilors alleged that the chairlady has completely abandoned the local government administrative law which is supposed to act as a compass to the administration, also mentioning projects which are executed without due processes. They recalled that the local government Chairperson has often time, flouted the administrative law forbidding the execution of any project exceeding five hundred thousand naira (500,000) without the council’s approval, citing examples of the cenotaph project and council hall which gulped over 7 million naira according to her.
They further alleged that the chairlady has been executing projects not included in the 2013 local government budget like the ongoing culvert project, including an unaccounted 44 million, generated from the estate built by the immediate past administration.
The physically aggrieved Councilors maintained that when they invited the Director of Finance to give clarifications on certain issues, the chairlady ordered the police to disrupt the sitting and asked them to stop the enquiries which she said was an attempt to probe her indirectly. They also have reported the Director of Works, Mr. Mike Esenowo who also refused to appear before them on grounds that he is not accountable to them but the chairlady.
According to them, the action was an embarrassment the impeached leader brought the House with the chairlady’s support. Following the impeachment, the councilors elected Mr. Ita Edet Ukoh as the new leader, Sylvester Edet Ben as Deputy Leader and Etim Bassey Ebiekpe as Deputy Chief whip. Others councilors include: Esang Bisung Uweh, Okon Effiong Okon and Daniel Edet Asuquo.
Meanwhile the Council Chairlady, Mrs. Kennim Onofiok has refused to respond to text messages sent to her phone, neither has she answered her calls to defend herself on the allegations when attempts were made to reach her. She rather asked her Information Officer, who refused to disclose his name, to respond thus:
“da awo, chairman abo ke afo e disturb, mkpo mmo enama do clerk a sign? kuwed mkpodo, nko ame diongo ke akpedo afid mkpo se itipe ke esiwed ederimbod emi ikpidongoke. Chairman abo ukuwed mkpodo mbak mfana, uma uwed mkpo-odo ayanie mfana”.
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