Rivers
AG Flays NJC Over Appointment Of Acting CJ
Rivers State government has criticised the National Judicial Commission (NJC) for allegedly attempting to force the state governor, Rotimi Amaechi, to choose a particular candidate as the state’s Acting Chief Judge .
The state Attorney- General and Commissioner for Justice, Worgu Boms, said while briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt, last Monday that the state’s judiciary had been politicised and described the action of the NJC as unacceptable.
The commissioner exonerated the state government over the development, adding that unfolding events were a bad precedence that could have been avoided.
The NJC had advised judges of the Rivers State judiciary not to accept the appointment of anyone as Acting Chief Judge from Amaechi, saying Justice Daisy Okocha, who it earlier recommended for the position, must be accepted by the governor.
He said,“It is unfortunate that there are dedicated attempts to politicise the judiciary; certainly not from our own side. The lawmakers knew that there may not be smooth transition from one Chief Judge to the other and they said in the meantime, the governor is empowered without recourse to anybody to appoint an Acting Chief Judge, whose tenure will only be for three months.
“He can’t reappoint that same person, except on the approval of the NJC. So, the NJC comes in only at the point of reappointing that same person. In this case, we have not gone to the NJC; we want to appoint another person. The NJC now writes letters to judges; ‘Don’t accept appointment from him unless he appoints a particular person’. If you were governor, would you accede to that? It is not possible.”, he said.
“So, who started the politicisation? I have powers to appoint and you have no business in it; you come to tell me to appoint a particular person; you are neither a court, nor the appointing authority. It is unfortunate and this is public issue and no hiding about it”, Boms said.
Former member, Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Chief B. K. Amadi (right), receiving an Award from the Secretary, Rebisi Council of Chiefs, Christopher Wonodi, during the sendforth ceremony of the body at Ogbunabali Civic Centre, Port Harcourt, recently. Photo: Obinna Prince Dele
The Rivers state Chief Judge, Justice SIMONE CHIBUZOR-AMADI has given an indication to sanction any lawyer who fail to comply with directive of a judge in the state to transferred a case to Rivers State Multi Door Courthouse for Alternatives Dispute Resolution.
Justice AMADI stated this during a brief ceremony held at the chief judge auditorium in port Harcourt Friday held to hand over certificates of operation to two private ADR chambers on Precarious Dispute Resolution Services and Harmony Arbitration and mediation center .
He urged the two private ADR centres to be diligent in the discharge of their duties and warned against compromising the standard of Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR but should observed the regulations set out in collaboration regulation by the state Multi Door Court House.
Earlier in a address, the Director of the State Multi Door Courthouse, VICTOR NWEKE esq, highlighted some of the achievements of the Multi Door Courthouse especially in decongestion of court rooms.
NWEKE while disclosing how the department certified the two private ADR centres called for serious punitive measures be taken against any lawyer who fail to comply with a case referred to Multi Door Court House by a judge or magistrates in the state.
In her acceptance speech on behalf of the two certified private ADR centres, ALICE NIMI commended the State Judiciary and Multi Door Courthouse for the approval and assured that all the rules and regulations spelt out will be followed.
In a related development; the Rivers State Judiciary has assured its readiness to collaborate with Nigerian Securityding Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC in using Alternative Dispute Resolution to resolve some of the issues in their office.
The state Chief Judge , Justice SIMONE CHIBUZOR-AMADI made the promise when he received in audience the Zonal Commander of NSCDC, Assistant Commandant General, AYINLA TALYE OLOWO and his team who paid him a courtesy visit in his office , Friday where issuees ADR utilization took centre stage.
He used the opportunity to brief his visitors on the hurdles judges faces daily in the court room and the need for the decongestion of the court room , stressing that one judge handle more than three hundred cases but that if lawyers and litigants adopt ADR practice court rooms can be releive of the daily congestions.
The state Chief Judge however urged NSCDC to ensure a wider sensitization of the members of the public on the practice of ADR for a better awareness and knowledge.
Earlier in his speech, the Zonal Commander of NSCDC, Assistant Commandant General, AYINLA TALYE-OLOWO said the visit was to seek collaboration on the use of ADR in resolving some issues which he insisted would help decongest the courtrooms.
Our correspondent reports officials of the Rivers State Multi Door Courthouse led by the Director, VICTOR NWEKE led the team of NSCDC on a technical session where information on how to the fully in cooperated into the Multi Door Courthouse and operation of ADR will be emphasized.
Akujobi Amadi