Imo Chief Judge selection: Njemanze raises concerns over JSC procedure
An elder statesman, Prince Bob Njemanze, has called on Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma to intervene in the process leading to the appointment of a substantive Chief Judge for the state, raising concerns over the conduct of the Imo State Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
In an open letter titled “The Public Notification of JSC on the Substantive Appointment of Imo Chief Judge,” Njemanze alleged that the process adopted by the commission had generated controversy and required urgent clarification to preserve the integrity of the judiciary.
According to him, the JSC initially invited comments from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Owerri Branch, on the suitability of four senior judicial officers for the position.
“In the initial official communication of the Imo Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Owerri the JSC had invited comments on the suitability of four eminent judicial officers namely Hon. Justice I.O Agugua, the Acting Chief Judge; Hon. Justice C. A. Ononeze -Madu; Hon. Justice E. O. Agada and Hon. Justice I.C. Azuama which was in the order of Judicial seniority,” he stated.
Njemanze, however, expressed surprise that after receiving feedback from the NBA branches in the state, the commission reportedly narrowed the list to two candidates.
“After the comments received from the NBA, Owerri and the other branches of it in Imo, the commission surprisingly made a ‘U- turn’ to present only two names, Hon. Justice C.A. Ononeze- Madu and Hon. Justice E.O. Agada for the comments of members of the public.”
Questioning the rationale behind the decision, he asked: “Now, one may ask, did the JSC consider the two aforestated names more suitable than the current acting Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Ijeoma Agugua?”
He added that the development “naturally calls for clearer explanations to the public and also to the Nigerian Judicial Council (NJC), the bar and bench and the institute of Justice.”
The elder statesman also cited constitutional provisions governing the appointment of state chief judges, noting that the JSC is empowered to advise the National Judicial Council on suitable candidates for nomination.
Njemanze further referenced allegations circulating in relation to the appointment process, calling for scrutiny of the claims.
“It is now an open secret which has formed allegations that a senior lawyer who claimed to be acting for the executive was made to share envelopes containing $5,000 to actualize their ploys and that some chairmen of the bar associations were alleged to have been either influenced, appreciated or coerced with the envelopes,” he said.
Defending the Acting Chief Judge, Justice Ijeoma Agugua, Njemanze argued that her seniority and experience made her a strong contender for the position.
“There is no iota of doubt that the present acting Chief Judge is the most senior among the judges in Imo high courts and the most suitable in all ramifications,” he said.
Njemanze urged Governor Uzodimma to step in, warning that the controversy could affect the image of the state government.
“There will be need for you to intervene as the stories making the rounds would be too detrimental to the image of the state under your watch,” he said.
Njemanze also questioned the role of the state’s Attorney-General in the process, noting that he was present at the meeting where the decision to submit two names was reportedly taken instead of the four judges initially considered.
“Another worrying aspect is that the Attorney-General of the state sat in the meeting where the decision to submit two names was taken as against the earlier decision to submit four eminent judges of the state high courts,” he said.
According to him, excluding Justice Agugua from the final list could trigger further controversy given that she had twice been appointed Acting Chief Judge in line with judicial seniority.
“I have had calls to intervene in the false accusations against Hon. Justice Ijeoma Agugua and the fact that she had been appointed twice as the acting Chief Judge in line with seniority and suitability would be sufficient to spark controversies that would trail her non- inclusion on the list made public by the state Judicial Service Commission (JSC),” Njemanze said.
He concluded the letter with an appeal: “We await your intervention to put the process back to the right track.”
