*Says Office Of CJ Should Not Exist At Governor’s Pleasure
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A former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Owerri Branch, Lawrence Nwakaeti, has strongly criticised the Imo State Government for its handling of judicial matters and disregard for the rule of law.
Speaking on Sunday, Nwakaeti condemned Governor Hope Uzodimma for failing to appoint a substantive Chief Judge of the state seven months after the controversial removal of Justice Chukwuemeka Chikeka over an age falsification scandal.
He described the prolonged delay as a political maneuver and a serious affront to constitutional governance.
“Regrettably, Imo also has no Attorney General presently, and these two are constitutional roles in the judiciary that help in the efficient running and administration of the judicial system,” Nwakaeti said.
He added, “The moment you are 10 years in practice, you are qualified for the position of Chief Judge or Attorney General, but these people want to always cut corners and do things their own way just to serve their own interest.”
Accusing the governor of politicising the judiciary, Nwakaeti said the state government has ignored calls from the Bar and defied directives from the National Judicial Council (NJC).
“The Bar has complained, the Bar has written, and the NJC, after rejecting the flawed nomination, gave them seven days to appoint the most senior judge as Chief Judge. Yet, five weeks after the NJC directive, Imo still has no Chief Judge,” he lamented.
Nwakaeti stressed that the office of the Chief Judge is a constitutional creation and must not be treated as subject to the whims of the executive.
“The office of the CJ is a creation of the Constitution and should not exist at the pleasure of the governor,” he said.
He further noted that just as the executive is headed by a governor and the legislature by a speaker, the judiciary is equally entitled to be led by a Chief Judge, as mandated by the Constitution.
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