Pix: Enugu State Governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi in a handshake with the State Chief Judge, Mr. Innocent
Umezulike as the Chief of Staff, Sir Victor Atuonwu and other State
Judges look on, wnen the Enugu State Judges led by the Chief Judge
paid a courtesy visit to the Governor, at the Government House,
Enugu…yesterday
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state yesterday promised to set machineries in motion to end the six-month strike action embarked upon by judiciary workers in the state operating under Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria(JUSUN).
The governor who hosted a delegation of the leadership of the state judiciary led by the state chief Judge, Hon. Justice Innocent Umezulike, also frowned at observed lopsidedness in appointments into the state judicial service system, pointing out that such engagements at the level of all cadres have so far flouted the provisions of Section 14 (4) of the Nigerian constitution.
“My lords, I have studied the recruitments of all cadres of staff in the Enugu State Judiciary and urge that future appointments should comply with section 14 (4) of the Nigerian constitution”, said the governor yesterday..
Ugwuanyi who addressed the judges at the executive council chambers of the Government House, Enugu promised to work jointly with the members of the judiciary in finding ways to end the lingering JUSUN strike as quickly as possible.
He, however, frowned at a situation where in a federation like Nigeria one of the units would be forced to pay workers’ emoluments beyond its financial capabilities.
He told the jurists who commended him for moving into some giant strides barely one month into the life of his new administration that “what puzzles me is how we can run a federation in which the independent feed rating units are compelled to pay the same wages notwithstanding their revenue differentials”.
The state chief judge had corroborated the governor on the damage done by the strike action of the judiciary workers, saying that “the socio-legal damage of the closure of the courts to the society is unimaginable”.
He also pointed out a new dimension in the problem of lack of judges to man the state judicial divisions, saying the current efforts to engage 10 judges for the state at the National Judicial Council (NJC) was being threatened by the petition of a human rights group based in Enugu protesting alleged lopsidedness in the appointment of judges in the state.
Governor Ugwuanyi later dwelt on the issue the said discrepancy noticed in the appointment of judges, saying that “I know, for instance, that since Justice Stanley Nnaji was dismissed from the judiciary 10 years ago, there is no judge from Isi-Uzo local government.
“I know that since Hon. Justice C. C. Nweze, JSC, left the State judiciary in 2007, there is no judge from Udenu local government area. I know that Igbo Etiti local government area has only one judge, while since Hon. Justice Agbata retired, Uzo Uwani has no judge in the state judiciary.
“Recommendations for appointment of new judges should consider these situations bearing in mind that there are qualified lawyers from these areas. In the magistracy, the story is not different”, he stated but assured that the government would engage the protesting human rights group to ensure that their threat does not hamper planned engagement of more judges for the state..
Elated by the show of solidarity by his visitors, the governor said, “I am proud and happy that this state boasts of a long tradition of judicial erudition and scholarship dating back to the days of Justice C. D. Onyeama, Justice Anthony Aniagolu, Justice Nnaemeka Agu and Justice Augustine Nnamani, (May their souls rest in Peace)
“Quite recently, late Justice Regina Nwodo (RIP) and Hon Justice C. C. Nweze JSC were promoted to the court of appeal and Supreme Court respectively on account of their production and scholarship outpacing their contemporaries in their upward mobility.
“I see many of you with the potential to outperform these judges. I, therefore, urge you to redouble your efforts to distinguish Enugu State judiciary as the one place that you can access true and speedy justice”, he said.