The Cross River House of Assembly has reinstated its speaker, Elvert Anyambem, who was recently impeached on grounds of high-handedness and financial impropriety.

During the assembly’s sitting on Tuesday, Cyril Omini, representing the Yakurr I constituency, moved a motion passing a vote of confidence in the speaker, which Kingsley Ntui, representing the Etung constituency, supported.

Seventeen of the 25 assembly members signed the notice to impeach the speaker.

The members alleged that the speaker indulged in arbitrary expenditures in contravention of Section 9(1) of the state’s Legislative Funds Management Law, 2021.

On Monday, Governor Bassey Otu announced that he brokered peace in the state assembly.

Mr Otu announced this in a statement by his chief press secretary, Nsa Gil, and said that normalcy had returned to the house.

“I had a closed-door meeting with all the twenty-five members of the assembly on Sunday night.

”They all unambiguously agreed to restore normalcy and maintain the status quo with Elvert Ayambem remaining as their speaker, the statement read in parts.”

Also, in a statement in Calabar on Monday, Mr Ayambem commended Mr Otu for wading into the recent crisis in the assembly.

In the statement signed by his media aide, Mathew Okache, the speaker commended Mr Otu for showing extraordinary leadership prowess in the face of the challenge.

“I pledge my cooperation and commitment towards the growth and progress of both the assembly and the state as a whole,” the statement read.

(NAN)