Scores of lawyers in Rivers State on Thursday staged a protest against the refusal of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to appoint a substantive or acting chief judge for the State Judiciary.
The protest took place at the premises of the State High Court located between Azikiwe and Moscow Road in Port Harcourt.
The lawyers frown on the continued refusal of Governor Amaechi to appoint an acting chief judge or a substantive chief judge after the three months stipulated by law for Justice Peter Agumagu, whom the governor earlier appointed in an acting capacity, expired five months ago.
The lawyers appealed to the National Judicial Council, NJC, acting in collaboration with the respective judges in the Rivers State judiciary “to act with regard to the doctrine of necessity and the independence of the judiciary as an arm of government to urgently facilitate the appointment and swearing into office of whosoever is the most senior judge of the high court of Rivers State in order to assume the functions and responsibilities of the chief judge of Rivers State to forestall any possible breakdown of law and order due to frustration of litigant and lawyers”.
The lawyers who carried placards walked through a distance of 150 meters along Azikiwe Road to the premises of the Federal High Court, apparently to address the presiding judge, but the judge was not available to receive the lawyers.
Addressing lawyers and newsmen at the High Court premises, the coordinator of the Forum of Concerned Lawyers of the NBA, Port Harcourt Branch, Mr. Chris Itamunoala, called on Governor Amaechi not to introduce politics into the judiciary.
“We are gathered here today to protest the refusal of Governor Amaechi to appoint an acting chief judge or substantive chief judge that can perform the statutory constitutional duty of assigning cases that are properly filed at the state high court.
“For the record, over the past five months, no single case file has been assigned inconsequence of the challenges at hand.
“Litigants who are briefed their lawyers have been denied their right to fair hearing. To those who care, the judiciary remains our principal place of work as lawyers. A stitch in time saves nine!
“The continued failure of the Rivers State Government to appoint a substantive or acting chief judge in accordance with the provisions of the law has gravely affected the fortunes of the lawyer and the common man in the dispensation of justice at the “Fishing Pot” of our high court,” Itamunoala said.
Some of the placards carried by the lawyers read:”Even in the military, there was a chief judge; Amaechi comply with S. 271 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended; We are down without a CJ; Amaechi the Governor with Three Arms of Government; Save our Farmland, Give us our Chief Judge, Follow Due Process; PDP or APC is not our Concern.’
Others read:’Appoint a Chief Judge; AG is Misleading Amaechi; C.D.H.R. Calls for the Appointment of CJ for Rivers State”.
A physically challenged lawyer, Gordon Pepple, the only blind lawyer practicing in Port Harcourt, maintained that he will go to court to file an application of mandamus in two weeks time to compel Governor Amaechi to appoint a chief judge if he fails to heed the call made by the protesting lawyers.
But the State Chairman of the NBA, Lawrence Okoh-Jaja, condemned the protest claiming that the NBA is a professional body and not a trade organization that has a constitutional way of handling its grievances.
He maintained that Itamunoala does not have the power to call for or organize a protest rally on behalf of lawyers against the failure of Governor Amaechi to appoint a chief judge after the statutorily approved period of three months Justice Agumagu, whom he appointed as the acting chief judge of Rivers State expired five months ago.