By Frank Ulom
The Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, has come under scrutiny from the state’s chapter of the Assembly for Moral Discipline, Justice, and Restoration of Public Confidence, following the reinstatement of Hon. Dickson Ovat Agbor, member representing Obubra I State Constituency, by the leadership of the House.
The group which faulted Ayambem’s decision, accused him of failing to observe moral standards in governance and described the reinstatement as “a serious contradiction to the moral standards expected of public office holders in the state.”
In an interactive session with Leadership Newspapers on Monday in Calabar, Dr John Egon, State Publicity Secretary of the group in the state, stated that despite the lawmaker’s earlier suspension over allegations of domestic violence against his spouse, he “has been recalled without clear evidence of accountability or justice.”
Egon warned that such actions “risk diminishing public confidence in governance and weakening the ethical foundation upon which leadership should stand.”
The group described the lawmaker’s alleged conduct as “a grave abuse of office and a betrayal of the trust reposed in him by the people.”
“Leadership must be anchored on respect for human dignity and the protection of citizens, not fear or coercion,” Egon maintained.
“Any individual who consistently demonstrates disregard for these values cannot be entrusted with the responsibility of representing the people,” he added.
The group in a statement signed by Dr Egon also faulted Speaker Ayambem for presiding over and approving Ovat’s reinstatement.
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It said the action sends a “wrong signal that misconduct can be overlooked, thereby undermining discipline within the legislative arm of government and weakening public trust in the institution.”
The statement noted further that “public office is a position of honour that demands integrity, discipline, and a strong moral compass,” warning that allowing such conduct to go unchecked “places a dent on the dignity of Cross River State and erodes the moral culture that binds the society together.”
The group emphasised that Governor Bassey Otu’s administration is “widely recognised as one anchored on moral virtues, discipline, and accountability.”
It stressed that the Governor’s leadership philosophy “reflects a commitment to restoring dignity, respect, and ethical conduct in public service across Cross River State, and should not be undermined by actions that contradict these ideals.”
The statement added, “It is imperative that all arms of government align with these principles to sustain the integrity of the administration,” cautioning that “decisions such as the reinstatement of Agbor risk sending conflicting signals that may weaken the moral direction championed by the present administration.”
The group called on civil society organisations (CSOs,), Non-governmental organisations (NGOs,) including women’s rights organisations to review the circumstances that led to the lifting of Agbor ‘s suspension so that justice will be served.
Reacting, Mr Mathew Okache, spokesperson to Speaker Elvert Ayambem, dismissed the group’s protest, saying that due process was followed before the Assemblymen lifted Ovat Agbor’s suspension.
“Agbor’s suspension was lifted by the House after serving suspension via the recommendation of a committee that was set up to dig into the matter,” Okache stated.
