Council chairman, councilors at loggerhead over impeachment move for alleged N94m unapproval loan

The Chairman of Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Chief Bertola Perekeme, and members of the council’s Legislative arm have engaged in war of words over an impeachment move for an alleged N94million loan taken by the chairman without the councils’ approval.In a statement by the Media Aide to the council chairman, Mr. Tonye Yemoleigha, the chairman is yet to be served any impeachment notice and wondered why the council lawmakers would go to the media with such weighty issue without serving him.According to the media aide, the chairman has however described the purported impeachment notice allegedly written by the councilors and trending of social media as unfortunate and an abuse of democracy.

He challenged members of the legislative council to come open on the said loans the council chairman has “continued to take without council’s approval” if there is any as they allege.Contrary report has it that on the 4th of December, 2019, some councilors had allegedly forcefully locked up the Ekeremor Executive Chairman in the Local Government Liaison office to coerce him into sourcing for loan and signing monies to the tune of N94million in order to meet some perceived frivolous demands.The statement reads in part, “The chairman has been neck bent and commited to meeting statutory obligations of the local government despite the very difficult circumstances and will not be distracted by a few who don’t mean well for the generality of the Ekeremor people.

“When he came on board in August last year, the Council was running a deficit account which they (Councilors) are all aware of and since then, the chairman has courageously made tremendious afforts aimed at stabilising the system are going on.”The Councilors should exercise the power given them by their wards to better the area by joining hands with him rather than orchestrate a ‘fight’ for pecuniary ends that will only sink the local government into deep indebtedness. This is not what the people want.”