CROSIEC Chairman resigns after swipe from government
The Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) Chairman, Associate Prof. Mike Ushie has resigned following the State Government’s indictment of the Commission’s work attitude which it described as ‘cavalier’.
In an earlier letter to the State House of Assembly, the State Government blamed the inability of the State to conduct local government elections since 2023 on the “cavalier work attitude” of the Commission, requesting the House for approval to reorganize the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC), as well as make appointments into the state Local Government Service Commission.
The request contained in a letter signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Anthony Owan Enoh, highlighted the Commission’s ineffectiveness and prayed the legislature to “act under section 201(1) – (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), and pass an address to remove the Chairman as well as all the members of the commission owning to serial ineffectiveness.”
The letter read: “the State Government has observed with dismay a cavalier work attitude by the chairman and members of the State Electoral Commission. This inertia has led to the State not being able to conduct Local Government Council elections which ought to have been held in 2023.”
The letter seeks the Assembly’s approval to give Governor Otu, “the latitude to reorganize the Commission to enable the State to have elections to its Local Government Councils as soon as possible”.
And following this development, the CROSIEC Chairman, Mike Ushie on Wednesday July 17 issued a letter of resignation. Ushie said his resignation is to enable him return to the University after serving in the Commission for six years.
His resignation letter read: “I write to resign my appointment as Chairman of the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC). This decision is to enable me to return to the University for further research work having served for over six years in that capacity.
“May I use this opportunity to thank the Governor and people of Cross River State for the privilege to serve especially in delivering a peaceful Local Government Council election in 2020, the first post Covid-19 election in Nigeria with Hundred Percent compliance with International Safety Protocols.”
By: Archibong Emmanuel
(Snr. Reporter)
