There is palpable tension in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State following the purported impeachment of the Chairman, Philip Okwaraji, and his Vice, Grace Osaronu earlier today.

Leader of the Eleme Local Government Legislative Assembly, Nyimeochen Ngelale declared in a chat with newsmen that the Chairman and his Vice stand impeached but the LG Chairman denied being impeached.

Okwaraji in a statement he sent to journalists stated as follows:

“There was no impeachment of Eleme LGA Executive Chairman by the Councillors. There are procedures to be duly followed in any purported impeachment as impeachments are not done on radio or through press releases.”

“Hon. Barr. Philip Okparaji remains the Executive Chairman of Eleme LGA as the general public are advised to discountenance any purported impeachment of one of best performing grassroots Chairman in the state.” 

But Ngelale told journalists that “the house has reconvened itself again and moved officially an impeachment notice on the chairman and the vice chairman of council. So, the house has taken a resolution that both of them are hereby impeached.”

Kristina Reports reliably learnt that trouble started when moves by the Councillors to grill the LG Council Chairman over allegations of financial misappropriation was disrupted by thugs allegedly loyal to the Chairman.

According to an eyewitness, the thugs forced their way into the hallowed chambers of the legislative assembly and attempted to snatch the mace but the Sergeant-at-Arms was proactive enough to take the mace into protective custody thus foiling the plans of the suspected hoodlums.

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The house was said to have reconvened and passed a vote of no confidence on the Chairman and his Vice and moved a motion for impeachment notice to be served on the duo.

A reliable source, who craved anonymity, told Kristina Reports that the Councillors had accused the Eleme LGA boss of diversion of funds meant for the LG Council, including monies for Councillors and also appropriate employment slots from companies meant for the people of the area.

Kristina Reports also learnt that the Councillors from the ten wards that make up the LGA were also not happy with the Chairman over his failure to approve N10 million constituency funds for each of them.

Attempts by the lawmakers to get the LG Chairman to address the issues raised against him by them proved abortive as he failed to give them cogent answers.

The session was cut short by the invasion of the suspected thugs who disrupted the proceedings and whisked Owaraji out of the chambers.  

Ngelale stressed that “the Chairman has not completely explained himself to the Eleme people. Eleme is only asking him tell us what and what you have done within these two years.”

“The next thing we saw were hoodlums led by his boy, Isaac and came direct to the hallowed chamber, broke the door to the hallowed chamber, and in his own presence and he could not say anything rather he commanded them ‘let us go’.

“So, the house is completely disappointed in him that is why a vote of no confidence has been passed on him. And he has failed Eleme people.”