Why Justice Ijeoma Agugua Was Appointed Chief Judge — Imo AG

By Collins Ughalaa

The appointment of a woman, Justice Ijeoma Agugua, as the first female Chief Judge of the state by Governor Uzodimma was done in accordance with due process and to ensure that justice is restored to the judiciary itself in the state.

The Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the state, Barr. COC Akaolisa, disclosed this to journalists during a press briefing in his office on Wednesday, stressing that Justice Ijeoma Agugua is the most senior judge in the state and that her appointment was in line with the yearnings of the relevant stakeholders for the restoration of justice in the state’s judiciary, as the state Judicial Service Commission (JSC) approved and recommended her appointment to the National Judicial Service Commission.

Governor Uzodimma had in March 2020 appointed Mrs. Agugua the Acting Chief Judge of the state. The Attorney General recalled that a certain interest group in the state judiciary did not want a woman to be appointed the Chief Judge of the state even when it gets to a woman on merit. He said that this untoward attitude had existed in the past but Governor Uzodimma wants to put an end to the injustice by insisting that justice must be served to all who earned it no matter their gender.

He further recalled that Mrs. Udom Azogu used to be the most senior judge in the state and was due for appointment as the Chief Judge of the state, but she was denied the opportunity by the same interest group that insisted she should not be appointed the Chief Judge of the state. He added that the government at the time caved in and appointed Justice Onumajuru the Chief Judge of the state instead.

He noted that the ugly trend had repeated in the case of Mrs. Ijeoma Agugua who was due for appointment as the Chief Judge of the state because she was the most senior judge in the state, but she was denied the opportunity on the ground that she is a woman, adding that in her place Mr. Pascal Nnadi was appointed the Chief Judge of the state.

The Attorney General noted that it was the injustice in the system that Governor Uzodimma insists on correcting, saying that in those days when Mrs. Ijeoma Agugua and Mrs. Azogu were denied their appointments they did not challenge it in court but rather took it in good faith.

Speaking on the allegation that Justice Aguguo had several queries in her file, the Attorney General said that as part of the efforts to stop her appointment, some people petitioned the National Judicial Service Commission (NJSC) which set up a panel to look into the allegations. He said the (NJSC) investigated the matter and found her not guilty. He added that the queries were part of the witch-hunting she suffered in furtherance of the injustice meted against her.

“These are allegations by those who did not want her to be appointed the Chief Judge of the state and those who did not want her progress. They are frivolous allegations. The National Judicial Service Commission had set up a panel to look into the matter but they declared her innocent of the allegations.

“Every stakeholder is in support of her appointment except a few persons who have issues with her and they are dragging the whole judiciary in the state backward by their actions. Some of the issues they have with her are rather personal as no one has found her guilty of fraud or incompetence. She is one of the most industrious judges in the state. The only problem she has is that she does not pander to people. She is a workaholic”, said the Attorney General.

The Attorney General wondered why some people who are not lawyers should dabble into the matter by going to court to challenge the appointment of Justice Ijeoma Agugua as the Chief Judge of the state. He warned that people should not drag the Judiciary in the state into an intractable legal battle.