The Benue State House of Assembly has approved a further six-month suspension of Kwande Local Government Chairman, Vitalis Neji, over allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of office.
The extension was approved during Thursday’s plenary in Makurdi following a motion sponsored by the Majority Leader, Bemdoo Ipusu, and seconded by the Minority Leader, Isaac Ochekliye.
Presiding over the session, Speaker Alfred Emberga directed the acting council chairman, Rita Iortsor, to continue overseeing the affairs of the local government until investigations into the allegations against Neji are concluded.
Neji was first suspended on August 20, 2026, for an initial period of three months after lawmakers considered an interim report submitted by an ad hoc committee constituted to investigate the allegations of misconduct against him.
While presenting the committee’s findings during the earlier sitting, Ipusu, who was then the Majority Leader and chairman of the investigative panel, disclosed that Neji appeared before the committee but could not provide satisfactory answers to the allegations levelled against him.
In its report, the committee stated that Neji “was unable to satisfactorily defend himself against the allegations levelled against him.”
The panel subsequently recommended his suspension to enable further investigation into the matter, prompting Speaker Emberga to announce the decision with immediate effect.
Following the latest resolution, Neji will remain suspended for an additional six months, while Iortsor continues to discharge the responsibilities of the council chairman in an acting capacity.
The Assembly has, however, not announced the findings of the ongoing investigation or provided a timeline for reaching a final decision on Neji’s position.
