… As Councillors Petition House of Assembly. 
By Udeme Hosea
Following a petition brought before the House of Assembly Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, by five Councillors in Ibiono Ibom Legislative Council, accusing the Executive Chairman of the Council, Hon Ekopimo Polycarp Edet, of embezzlement, misappropriation of council funds and embarking on projects without due process, the House Committee has swung into action to unravel the truth or otherwise of the matter.
At a hearing on the matter, today, Wednesday March 29, 2023 at the Assembly Complex, presided by the House Committee Chairman, Rt Hon Mark Esset, the Executive Chairman of Ibiono Ibom, alongside the aggrieved councillors were given fair hearing.
Appearing before the Committee, Hon Polycarp with his 13 councillors gave rapt attention to the leader of the five Councillors, who signed the petition as he opened up on the misappropriation saga that has portrayed the council in bad light.
Speaking, Hon Asuakak Umoh, Councillor representing Ward 4, said the inability of the Council Chairman, Hon Ekopimo Polycarp Edet, to account for the council’s funds informed their decision to write to the State House of Assembly, maintaining that the council boss has violated the Local Government Administration law with reckless abandon, neglecting the provisions of the law on financial regulations.
Hon Umoh highlighted major aspects of financial impropriety by the council Chairman to include, payment of Internally Generated Revenue to the Council Chairman’s personal account from January 2021 to December 2022, construction of Ikpa Pavilion project without due process, pointing out that their excitement about the project implementation was cut short during their oversight visit to the project site to ascertain the level of work done.
He informed the House Committee that they discovered during their visit to the project site that the project was executed by the Public Complaints Commission, a department of the federal government, while the project’s signpost hoisted at the project site indicated that the project was not funded by Ibiono Ibom Local Government Council as claimed by the council boss.
The councillors also accused the Council Chairman of converting February 2022 Allocation to his personal use as well as usurping the powers of the legislative council to oversee the implementation of the council’s budget, explaining that since the inception of the administration on 7th December 2020, the Chairman of council has not tendered monthly statements of income and expenditure to the legislative council for examination and debate as required by section 28 (1) (c) of the Local Government Administration Law 2017.
They also cited abuse of legislative process and negligence of duties, hinting that the legislative council, under the leadership of Hon Udeme Sunday, held plenary for only 29 days instead of 120 days as stipulated by law.
Responding to the allegations leveled against him in the petition, the Ibiono Ibom Council Chairman, Hon Ekopimo Polycarp Edet, denied misappropriating the council funds, saying the construction of Ikpa Pavilion was captured in the 2021 budget.
Explaining further, Edet said he is not using his personal account for the council’s revenue, stressing that the council’s revenue is handled by the Ibiono Ibom Council Revenue Officer.
Meanwhile, due to the inability of the Council Chairman to back up his claims with facts, concerning the construction of Ikpa Pavilion and his inability to present before the House Committee records of financial transaction of the council, the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs adjourned hearing on the case to Friday, March 31st to enable the council boss provide necessary evidence.
Present at the meeting were Rt Hon Uduak Odudoh, Rt Hon Nse Essien and Hon Godwin Ekpo, the member representing Ibiono Ibom State Constituency.