Petitioner Alleges Age Falsification Against Gombe Acting CJ, Writes NJC

The National Judicial Council has received a petition bordering on alleged falsification of the age of the acting Chief Judge of Gombe State, Justice Muazu Pindiga.

The petition dated 29th November, 2021, which was made available to our correspondent on Monday by the petitioner Hussaini Musa, was addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice Ibrahim Mohammed.

Also mentioned in the petition are Secretary of the council, the Director General, Department of State Services, the Chairman,

Interview Committee set up by NJC, Justice Mary Odili, All members of the NJC and the President, Nigerian Bar Association, Olumide Akpata..

According to Musa, the acting Chief Judge altered his age from 1st January, 1957 to 1st April, 1957, there by influencing his retirement age from January to April 2022.

He revealed that Pindiga ought to have given his statutory three months’ notice of retirement on September 1, 2021.

Musa said, “My lord, the records submitted by Justice Muazu Pindiga at the time of his appointment as required by law, through a statutory declaration of age or birth certificate, states his date of birth as January 1, 1957, therefore, his expected retirement date is January 1, 2022).

“This information is contained on the National Judicial Council’s Nominal Roll of Judicial Officers in the High Court of Gombe State; his Curriculum Vitae; National Judicial Council’s Data on Judicial Officers which was filled and signed by Justice Muazu Pindiga as far back as June 30, 2004; National Judicial Council’s Survey on Facilities Form which was also filled and signed by Justice Muazu Pindiga as far back as August 30, 2006); and the Compendium of Judicial Officers in Nigeria by the National Judicial Institute, Abuja on page 444 which was published in 2011.

“From the foregoing, it is clear that Justice Muazu Pindiga ought to have given his statutory three months’ notice of retirement on September 1, 2021.

“However, in a un-scrupulous and desperate bid to stay longer in office, and to defraud the government of undeserved salaries and allowances and other attendant benefits, Justice Muazu Pindiga has declared a different date of birth April 1, 1957 in another Statutory Declaration of Age which, though stated on the face of the affidavit to have been sworn in 2013, was only recently submitted by him to the Secretary of the NJC. This new and questionable declaration was meant to extend his stay in office and retirement date to April 1, 2022).”