In a significant development, Prince Aminu Kadiri, the Chairman of Owan East Local Government Council, has been impeached by the council’s legislative arm due to gross misconduct and abuse of office. Alongside him, the Vice Chairman, Hon. Clement Ojebuovbo, faced similar charges and was also impeached.
The impeachment took place during a plenary session on Monday, presided over by the council speaker, who facilitated the proceedings in the legislative chambers. The action followed a formal notice brought against both officials, which highlighted numerous allegations of misconduct.
Hon. Friday Henry Oisawemi, the council member representing Ward 07, was pivotal in moving the motion for impeachment, accusing Prince Kadiri of repeatedly violating council regulations. Oisawemi emphasized that these actions had severely eroded the goodwill and trust of the Owan East community, rendering Kadiri unfit for leadership.
The motion received strong support, being seconded by Hon. Marcus Sunday from Ward 01, and ultimately garnered a majority vote, with eight council members affirming the decision to remove both the chairman and vice-chairman from their positions.
The impeachment saga has revealed ongoing tensions between the local government leadership and its legislative arm, with accusations of lack of financial accountability and transparency leading to the fallout. Following the impeachment, Hon. Haruna Mohammed from Ward 10 has stepped in as Acting Chairman to oversee council affairs.
This situation has prompted concerns regarding the financial practices of the 18 Local Government Chairmen in the state. Many of these officials had previously resisted state government requests for financial report submission, citing local government autonomy, further fuelling suspicion of potential misconduct.
The current events underline the critical need for rigorous checks and balances, as well as enhanced oversight of local government operations by relevant authorities and active civic participation.