NJC causing confusion in Rivers – Amaechi

AS the crisis in Rivers State took a fresh dimension on Wednesday, the State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has accused the National Judicial Council of causing chaos and confusion in the state.
This was just as thousands of his supporters took over the premises of the State High Court ostensibly to prevent the choice of the NJC, Justice Daisy Okocha, from acting as a Chief Judge or Administrative Judge of the state.
Rivers State Government and the NJC had been at loggerhead over the choice of who becomes the Chief Judge of the state, a development that had led to an indefinite strike by the state judiciary workers.
While the NJC is insisting that Okocha, who is the most senior High Court judge in the state should be appointed the chief judge, Amaechi had appointed Justice Peter Agumagu, perceived to be the most senior judge in the state.
Though Agumagu had since been suspended by the NJC, the Rivers State Government had announced the rejection of the council’s suspension of the governor’s choice.
Speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt, Amaechi maintained that the powers to appoint a chief judge of the state was solely with the governor, adding that the NJC erred by meddling into a matter that was before the court.
Amaechi, who spoke through his Chief of Staff, Mr. Tony Okocha, said that the appointment of Justice Daisy Okocha as Administrative Chief Judge of Rivers State was not recognized by law.
“The crisis in the Rivers State Judiciary is indeed uncalled for. The law is clear. The person who has the powers to appoint the Chief Judge is certainly the Governor of Rivers State. It is not about the Governor of Rivers State, it is about the law.
“The Rivers State Governor has appointed a Chief Judge (Justice Peter Agumagu), but the National Judicial Council is interfering; to the extent that the person who was appointed was suspended by the NJC and the matter is in court.
“We heard that NJC is appointing an Administrative Chief Judge (Justice Daisy Okocha). That is not known to the law. The powers to appoint, no matter the nomenclature it is given, do not reside with the NJC. You can see the entire confusion,” Amaechi added.
He, however, expressed surprise that Justice Okocha allegedly broke into the State High Court and met with some judges, describing her action as a breach of the constitution.
The governor pointed out that Justice action had sparked a spontaneous reaction from members of the public who streamed to the State High Court on Wednesday to protest the development.
He said, “To make matters worse, we heard that the woman purportedly appointed by the NJC as Administrative Chief Judge, went to the Rivers State High Court, Port Harcourt yesterday (Tuesday), broke into the place, went into the place for whatever reason and met with some judges.
“As a lawyer and a judge, she knows that it is a crime in the Nigerian law; that you do not break to gain entrance, for whatever it is worth.
“That is why you saw millions of Rivers people, who spontaneously came out to say there are no two governors in Rivers State. The Rivers State Governor must be allowed to perform his functions; part of which he has done. NJC and the powers that be are causing confusion in Rivers State.”
Meanwhile, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly organised a public hearing on Wednesday in their move to amend Section 40 of the Rivers State High Court Law.
The law, if amended, would give power to the Chief Registrar of the State High Court to assign cases to any judge and also perform administrative duties until an acting chief judge or a chief judge was appointed.
Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Mr. Golden Chioma, explained that the House got about six memoranda on the matter, including those from the State Peoples Democratic Party.
Others that sent memoranda on the amendment bill, according to Chioma, are the State Attorney General, Mr. Worgu Boms and the Customary Court of Appeal.
Senator Magnus Abe representing Rivers South East, Mr. Dakuku Peterside, representing Andoni/Okpobo-Nkoro Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and a member of Emeoha Council of Chiefs, Chief Vincent Chukwu, were among those that supported the proposed amendment of the state High Court rules.
Meanwhile, activities in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital came to a halt as thousands of people converged on the State Judiciary complex to protest against the alleged meddlesomeness in the affairs of the state judiciary.
The protesters, who came in many buses, chanted war songs, calling on the NJC to stop the imposition of a chief judge on the people of the state.
One of the protesters, who identified himself as John Ijekwe, told our correspondent that the position of the NJC on the Rivers judiciary crisis was crippling the dispensation of justice
It will be recalled that the state judiciary workers had gone on strike on Tuesday a day after an explosion rocked the Ahoada High Court premises.