{"id":8725,"date":"2013-08-21T01:40:06","date_gmt":"2013-08-21T01:40:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disnaija.com\/nigerian-newspapers\/controversy-trails-appointment-of-rivers-acting-cj\/"},"modified":"2013-08-21T01:40:06","modified_gmt":"2013-08-21T01:40:06","slug":"controversy-trails-appointment-of-rivers-acting-cj","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disnaija.com\/controversy-trails-appointment-of-rivers-acting-cj\/","title":{"rendered":"Controversy trails appointment of Rivers acting CJ"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u2022 Amaechi links insecurity to poverty, unemployment<\/strong><\/p>\n

CONTROVERSY is trailing the swearing-in of the President, Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Peter N. C. Agumagu, as the Acting Chief Judge of the Rivers State by Governor Chibuike Amaechi. <\/p>\n

  A group, Grassroots Democratic Initiative (GDI), has kicked against the appointment of Justice Agumagu and accused the governor of breaching Section 271(4) of the 1999 Constitution. <\/p>\n

  Justice Agumagu was sworn in at a brief ceremony in Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday by Governor Amaechi following the retirement of the erstwhile Chief Judge of the state, Justice Ichechi Nwenenda Ndu, whose valedictory ceremonies held on Monday. <\/p>\n

  Governor Amaechi said the new acting CJ shall be in office pending when the National Assembly approves the candidate recommended for appointment as the state CJ by the National Judicial Commission (NJC). <\/p>\n

  The appointment of the Justice came to many as a surprise because the state\u2019s Judicial Service Commission had already approved Justice Daisy W. Okocha of the state High Court, Port Harcourt and sister to the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Onueze C.J. Okocha (SAN), as the new Chief Judge-designate. <\/p>\n

  Justice Okocha would have been the first woman to be appointed as the CJ since the creation of the state in May 1967. <\/p>\n

  GDI President, Mr. Bright Ameawhule, faulted the governor and the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Worgu Boms, for appointing Justice Agumagu, who the duo said, is the most senior judge as the acting CJ.    <\/p>\n

  He argued that the 1999 Constitution clearly spelt out the distinction between a state High Court and a Customary Court of Appeal and the method for the appointment of judges in the two courts are also different. <\/p>\n

  Ameawhule said the governor and the Attorney General violated the constitution by refusing to swear in Justice Okocha, who he described as the most senior judge in the state High Court, as the acting CJ until the procedural niceties of appointing a substantive CJ for the state have been fulfilled. <\/p>\n

  He alleged that Justice Okocha has already been recognised by the state Judicial Service Commission and the National Judicial Council as the new substantive CJ of Rivers State and recommended to the governor.<\/p>\n

  Meanwhile, Governor Chibuike Amaechi has reiterated that insecurity occasioned by militancy and Boko Haram menace, would persist until government tackles social problems like poverty and unemployment.<\/p>\n

  And in a bid to reduce unemployment, the governor has announced that the Rivers State government would release N5 billion to provide financial support to people who are ready to be self-reliant and innovative to borrow at subsidised low cost to set up their own businesses.<\/p>\n

  Amaechi stated this at the flag-off ceremony of the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA) Job Fair 2013 in conjunction with the Ministry of Employment Generation and Empowerment in Port Harcourt yesterday. The job fair was created as a platform to screen job seekers to meet with prospective employers and employment opportunities to tackle the scourge of unemployment in the state.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Amaechi links insecurity to poverty, unemployment<\/p>\n

CONTROVERSY is trailing the swearing-in of the President, Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Peter N. C. Agumagu, as the Acting Chief Judge of the Rivers State by Governor Chibuike Amaechi. <\/p>\n

  A group, Grassroots Democratic Initiative (GDI), has kicked against the appointment of Justice Agumagu and accused the governor of breaching Section 271(4) of the 1999 Constitution. <\/p>\n

  Justice Agumagu was sworn in at a brief ceremony in Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday by Governor Amaechi following the retirement of the erstwhile Chief Judge of the state, Justice Ichechi Nwenenda Ndu, whose valedictory ceremonies held on Monday. <\/p>\n

  Governor Amaechi said the new acting CJ shall be in office pending when the National Assembly approves the candidate recommended for appointment as the state CJ by the National Judicial Commission (NJC). <\/p>\n

  The appointment of the Justice came to many as a surprise because the state\u2019s Judicial Service Commission had already approved Justice Daisy W. Okocha of the state High Court, Port Harcourt and sister to the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Onueze C.J. Okocha (SAN), as the new Chief Judge-designate. <\/p>\n

  Justice Okocha would have been the first woman to be appointed as the CJ since the creation of the state in May 1967. <\/p>\n

  GDI President, Mr. Bright Ameawhule, faulted the governor and the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Worgu Boms, for appointing Justice Agumagu, who the duo said, is the most senior judge as the acting CJ.    <\/p>\n

  He argued that the 1999 Constitution clearly spelt out the distinction between a state High Court and a Customary Court of Appeal and the method for the appointment of judges in the two courts are also different. <\/p>\n

  Ameawhule said the governor and the Attorney General violated the constitution by refusing to swear in Justice Okocha, who he described as the most senior judge in the state High Court, as the acting CJ until the procedural niceties of appointing a substantive CJ for the state have been fulfilled. <\/p>\n

  He alleged that Justice Okocha has already been recognised by the state Judicial Service Commission and the National Judicial Council as the new substantive CJ of Rivers State and recommended to the governor.<\/p>\n

  Meanwhile, Governor Chibuike Amaechi has reiterated that insecurity occasioned by militancy and Boko Haram menace, would persist until government tackles social problems like poverty and unemployment.<\/p>\n

  And in a bid to reduce unemployment, the governor has announced that the Rivers State government would release N5 billion to provide financial support to people who are ready to be self-reliant and innovative to borrow at subsidised low cost to set up their own businesses.<\/p>\n

  Amaechi stated this at the flag-off ceremony of the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA) Job Fair 2013 in conjunction with the Ministry of Employment Generation and Empowerment in Port Harcourt yesterday. The job fair was created as a platform to screen job seekers to meet with prospective employers and employment opportunities to tackle the scourge of unemployment in the state.<\/p>\n

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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. <\/a>A DisNaija.Com<\/a> network.<\/p>\n

Source: Guardian Newspaper<\/p>\n

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