C’River: Yala Assembly Revives Impeachment Move Against Council Chairman
The Yala Legislative Assembly of Cross River State has renewed moves to impeach the Chairman of Yala Local Government Area, Dr Fred Okem, over allegations of financial misappropriation, misconduct and maladministration.
The legislators, in a notice dated November 12, 2026, and addressed to the council chairman, said the renewed action followed the discovery of additional alleged irregularities in the administration of the local government.
They said the move was being undertaken pursuant to their oversight powers under Section 3, Subsection 3(a-d) of the Cross River State Local Government Law No. 2 of 2007, as amended.
According to the notice, the provision empowers the legislative arm of the council to exercise oversight over the executive arm and related agencies to promote accountability, good governance and grassroots development.
The Assembly recalled that similar allegations had been levelled against the chairman in August 2025, but the impeachment process was discontinued without any formal findings.
It, however, maintained that the earlier allegations had been substantiated and called on the Cross River State House of Assembly to investigate both the allegations and the circumstances surrounding the termination of the previous proceedings.
The legislators outlined four fresh grounds for the renewed impeachment proceedings, including alleged gross financial misappropriation of council funds, misconduct, ineptitude and maladministration.
Other grounds cited were the chairman’s alleged failure to comply with the residency requirement prescribed by the state’s local government law and his refusal to present the council’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) records to the legislative arm for scrutiny.
The Assembly alleged that the non-presentation of the IGR records had undermined its ability to discharge its statutory oversight responsibilities and ensure accountability in the management of council resources.
It also maintained that the latest allegations warranted further investigation to establish the extent of the alleged infractions and determine the appropriate legislative action.
However, it remains unclear whether the fresh allegations have been subjected to an independent investigation or whether the council chairman has formally responded to them.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Okem nor his media aide had issued any statement on the renewed impeachment move.
