Misappropriation: Another Delta Council Boss In Trouble, Faces Impeachment

PHOTO: DELTA STATE GOVERNOR, EMMANUEL UDUAGHAN

Asaba Feb 02, (THEWILL) - The chairman of Ndokwa East Local Government Area in Delta State, Elder Chike Ugwummadu is currently fighting to save his job as 15 councilors out of the 20 in the local government legislative arm have moved to impeach him over alleged misappropriation of funds meant for infrastructural development of the area.

A notice of impeachment signed by the leader of the legislative arm, Mr. Shadrack Opiah and the clerk Mr. Igwe Francis and 15 councillors has been served on the chairman.

The councilors have accused Ugwummadu of failure to render account of income and expenditure for September to December 2009 as required by law. He also allegedly deliberately failed to give account for funds expended on Christmas gifts last year.

The council chairman according to the councilors also failed to follow due process in the award of contracts, operating outside the 2009 budget and failing to honour the House invitation on three occasions.

The tension generated by the notice of impeachment has however prompted a reaction from the state government. Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan has set up a committee headed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa to investigate the matter.

This is the second committee the SSG will be heading with a mandate to resolve alleged fraudulent practicing rocking some local government councils in the state, which started with the suspension of Sapele council chairman by his councillors over alleged misappropriation of 250 million.

When THEWILL contacted Elder Ugwummadu, he said, "I can’t make any comment now because a committee headed by the SSG is already handling the matter".

Some months ago, a pressure group called Ndosimili Peoples Parliament (NPP) led by its chairman, Chief David Nwabueze and Secretary, Mr. Jerry Ike-maigho, in a press conference held in Ashaka urged the council boss to give a public account of how a whooping sum of N500 million statutory allocations was spent within his 100 days in office.