The development stemmed from a petition submitted to the Cross River State House of Assembly by eight councillors of the Bekwarra Legislative Council, who accused Ushie of corruption, abuse of office and high-handedness in the administration of the council. The petition, dated May 19, 2025, and formally taken up by the Assembly in June, also alleged arbitrary stoppage of councillors’ salaries and violations of due process in running the local government.
Acting on the petition, the Assembly initially suspended Ushie for 90 days and directed the Vice Chairman, Egbung Odama, to assume office in an acting capacity while a detailed investigation was carried out. The House Committee on Judiciary and Public Petitions was mandated to interface with all parties and examine documents and testimonies related to the allegations.
Presenting its report at plenary in Calabar, the Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary and Public Petitions said the panel engaged the petitioning councillors, the suspended chairman, and community stakeholders in Abuochiche, the council headquarters.
The committee chair explained that after reviewing documents and hearing from the parties, the panel found the allegations in the petition to be weighty and substantiated.
“After meeting with all parties and reviewing evidence, the Committee found the allegations weighty and clearly established,” the Chairman said. “The conduct of the chairman fell below the expectations of her office, and the testimonies received during our visit to Bekwarra reinforced the concerns raised.”
Following the presentation of the report, the Assembly adopted the committee’s recommendations and resolved that Ushie be removed from office for gross misconduct. At Wednesday’s plenary, 19 out of the 25 members present voted in favour of the recommendation, thereby sealing her removal after months of legislative inquiry.
The House further directed the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) to conduct a bye-election within 30 days to replace the sacked chairman and restore normalcy to the council’s leadership structure.
Lawmakers said the measure was necessary to avoid a leadership vacuum and to ensure continuity in local governance and service delivery in Bekwarra.
In his remarks after the vote, the Speaker of the House, Elvert Ayambem, said the decision underscored the legislature’s resolve to uphold accountability and the rule of law in the state. “This House will always defend transparency and uphold the law. Our duty guides our actions to the people of Cross River State,” he said.
Ayambem noted that the Assembly acted within the framework of relevant local government laws, stressing that public officers must be prepared to account for their stewardship.
He added that the House would continue to respond to credible petitions from citizens and ensure that allegations of impropriety against public officials are thoroughly investigated.
Efforts to get Ushie’s reaction to her removal were unsuccessful, as her telephone lines were said to be unreachable at the time of filing the report.
Her camp had earlier maintained that the allegations were politically motivated, but the committee’s report and the Assembly’s vote have now formalised her exit from office.
The case adds to the recent wave of scrutiny of local government officials in Cross River State, where allegations of corruption, abuse of office and administrative impunity have triggered suspensions, probes and institutional shake-ups.
Political observers in the state say the Bekwarra episode may further test the relationship between local power blocs, councillors and the state legislature as the bye-election process commences.
