By Godwin Ajom
The Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) Chairman, Associate Professor Mike Ushie has resigned his position following the State Government’s swipe on the Commission’s “cavalier work attitude”.
In a letter to the State House of Assembly earlier, 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), and 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, highlighting the Commission’s ineffectiveness and prayed the Legislatures 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.”
According to the letter 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”.
However, following the development, on Wednesday July 17th day, the CROSIEC Chairman, Mike Ushie 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 reads in parts: “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.”
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