*As Prof. Odinkalu Questions JSC Meeting On Workers’ Day
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A fresh controversy has erupted within the Imo State judiciary following the purported redeployment of the Chief Registrar of the High Court, Naomi Joshua Achunulo, to the Magistrate Court as Chief Magistrate Grade I.
According to an official letter dated May 2, 2025, and signed by J.O.N. Nwosu Esq., Secretary of the Imo State Judicial Service Commission (JSC), the decision was taken at a statutory meeting of the Commission held on Thursday, May 1, 2025.
The letter instructed Mrs. Achunulo to hand over all official properties, including vehicles, to her successor, Nneoma Chika Ezerioha, who has been appointed the new substantive Chief Registrar of the Imo State High Court. However, the letter did not state any reason or wrongdoing on Mrs. Achunulo’s part to warrant the transfer.
However, the timing of the decision has raised eyebrows, as May 1 is officially recognised as Workers’ Day, a national public holiday in Nigeria when government offices are closed.
Human rights lawyer and public commentator, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to question the legality and transparency of the process.
“Imo State judiciary is a crazy place: the Judicial Service Commission of Imo State claims they met on 1 May, fired the Chief Registrar of the State High Court & appointed someone else in her place. Problem is 1 May is #WorkersDay. Ag. Chairman, Justice Victor Okorie, this stinks!” Odinkalu wrote.
The development has stirred concerns among legal observers and civil society actors who argue that the use of a public holiday to carry out what appears to be a major administrative shakeup undermines due process and transparency within the judiciary.
As of the time of filing this report, the Imo State Judicial Service Commission has not publicly addressed the concerns raised about the timing of its decision or responded to Odinkalu’s statement.
Efforts to reach the Acting Chairman of the Commission, Justice Victor Okorie, for comment were unsuccessful.
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