Warri South-West Legislative Crisis: Clerk recants on purported impeachment of Etuwewe, hinges action on falsification of signatures

The leadership crisis rocking the Legislative Arm of Warri South-West Local Government Council in Delta state, has taken a new twist as the Clerk of the House, Maureen, O. Oweh, who had transmitted a letter to the Office of the Chairman of Warri South-West Local Government Area, on Thursday July 21, 2022, informing him of the purported impeachment of Rt. Hon. Emiko Odin-Etuwewe as Leader of the House, wrote a contrary letter dated July 22, 2022, to the Office of the Chairman of Warri South-West Local Government Area, declaring the impeachment notice of Rt. Hon. Emiko Odin- Etuwewe, earlier sent to Office of the Chairman as null and void, due to “falsification of signatures of three councilors”.

Clerk of the House, Maureen, O. Oweh, in the memo dated July 22 and sighted by Fresh Angle International, today, Wednesday July 27, recanted her earlier impeachment notice to the Office of the Chairman, after acknowledging: “The receipt of protest letters written by three Councilors, namely, Hon. Stanley Ama Ukasanren, Hon Mike Ukulor and Hon. Jonathan Saware, wherein they indicated that their signatures were falsified on the impeachment letter of the Leader, Hon. Emiko Odin Etuwewe on the 18 of July 2022”.

In the July 22 memo titled ‘Falsification of three (3) Councilors’, Oweh, stated inter-alia: “I am further directed to inform you (Office of the Chairman) that Hon. Stanley Ama Ukusanren and Mike Ukulor true names and signatures can be found in the House Rules/Standing Order enacted by the House in the year 2021 at the inception of the 6th Assembly. While Hon. Jonathan Saware's true signature is on the Finance and Appropriation report presented in 2021 and 2022 Budget passage as a member of the Committee.

“Our preliminary investigations show the claims to be factual, therefore, the earlier impeachment notice sent to your office is null and void.

“In the foregoing, my letter with reference no. WSW.355/13/47, is hereby retrieved and of no effect, due to the illegality and uncertainties involved in it”.

This Newspaper understands that in the July 22 memo addressed to the Office of the Chairman of Warri South-West Local Government Area, Maureen, O Oweh, attached copies of the “IMPERSONATION OF SIGNATURE” letters written to Office of the Clerk by; Hon. Stanley Ama Ukasanren, Hon Mike Ukulor as well as Hon. Jonathan Saware and copied the Head of Personnel Management, HPM of Warri South-West Local Government Council, Treasurer to the Local Government, TLG, DPO of Nigerian Police, Ogbe-Ijoh and the DSS.

The embattled Leader of Warri South-West Legislative Arm, Rt. Hon. Emiko Odin-Etuwewe in an exclusive telephone chat with Our Correspondent, today, Wednesday July 27, while reacting to the development, explained: “The preliminary investigation done by the Clerk, was to compare signatures of the Councilors in the Standing Order and House Rule as well as documents sent to the Code of Conduct Bureau. As at today, I remain the Leader of Warri South-West Legislative Arm. An impeachment notice, allegedly signed by 12 Councilors, does not meet the 2/3 majority required by law for a change in the House leadership”.

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