Tuesday, 21 May 2013
Lawyers Decry Chief Justice’s Decision to Exclude Court Of Appeal Nominee
CJN Alooma Muktar
By SaharaReporters, New York
Several Nigerian lawyers have criticized the decision by Chief Justice of Nigeria, Maryam Alooma-Muktar, to exclude Justice Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo from the list of newly appointed justices of the Court of Appeal sworn in this week.
The five lawyers who spoke to us said they were dismayed by Justice Alooma-Muktar’s failure to swear in Justice Jombo-Ofo as a member of Nigeria’s Court of Appeal. A source close to Ms. Jombo-Ofo, a serving judge of the Abia State High Court, disclosed that she was summoned by the CJN and told that her nomination and appointment had been withdrawn because Anambra, her state of birth, has no vacant spot to fill in the Court of Appeal. Mrs. Jombo-Ofo’s husband hails from Abia State, a state where she has put in many years of service.
The critics of the Chief Justice’s action said they were disturbed that the nation’s Chief Justice failed to recognize that a married woman is recognized culturally and under the law as fully belonging to her husband’s state of origin.
“Chief Justice Alooma-Muktar’s attitude betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of the way that citizens derive their identities in a multi-ethnic society like ours,” said one lawyer, who is mostly based in Abuja.
In the words of another lawyer, the CJN’s position “effectively seeks to erect a permanent demarcation between spouses on account of their originally belonging to different states.” The lawyer accused the CJN of espousing a position that is at odds with Nigerian culture. “In all Nigerian cultures, a wife is regarded as part and parcel of her husband’s family.”
Another critic, a Lagos-based female lawyer, took a slightly different direction. According to her, “If Nigeria is to exist as a viable entity, then citizens should have the freedom to select their states based on their domicility.” She said, “Even if Justice Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo was not married to an Abia man but had lived and worked in that state for a very long time, she should be free to claim Abia as her state.”
Ms. Jombo-Ofo has served as a judge of the Abia State High Court for the past 14 years. Besides, she has been married for more than thirty years to Nkemka Jombo-Ofo whose hometown is Arochukwu in Abia State. A source close to her said the judge “has lived most of her adult life and identified herself as an Arochukwu woman.” Governor Theodore Orji of Abia had written a letter to the CJN authorizing her to give the state’s slot on the Court of Appeal to Mss. Jombo-Ofo. SaharaReporters learnt that Ms. Alooma-Muktar claimed that she had received at least one “strong petition” that asserted that Ms. Jombo-Ofo should be treated as “a non-indigene of the state.”
But our respondents said the CJN’s action amounted to “taking the laws into her hands,” in the words of one of them. He added: “The justice’s appointment was first recommended by the National Judicial Council (NJC), ratified by the National Assembly and assented to by the President. It remains to be seen if the Chief Justice will be blind to these processes and unilaterally remove a duly appointed judge without due process.”
One of our respondents accused the CJN of using a hypocritical yardstick to exclude Ms. Jombo-Ofo. He told Saharareporters that many people within the judiciary believe that President Goodluck Jonathan was determined to pack the high court with his kinsmen. He said it was an open secret that Mr. Jonathan had meddled with judicial nomination procedures to ensure that judges from certain states did not claim the slots of those states. He cited the case of a Lagos judge, Olubunmi Oyewole, who was reportedly rejected because he was nominated by Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. “Justice Oyewole was dropped because the NJC claimed he was a Lagos-based judge who needed to be nominated by the Lagos state government.”
A judicial source also cited the case of Justice Mary Odili, the wife of former Governor Peter Odili of Rivers State. “Justice Mary Odili was elevated to the Court of Appeal on the basis of a slot that belonged to the ‘South-South’. But when it was time to elevate her to the Supreme Court, President Jonathan arranged for her to take the slot from the South East.” The source alleged that the maneuver was part of President Jonathan’s desire to “create a spot for a judge from Bayelsa, his state of origin.”
Ms. Jombo-Ofo’s marital situation resembles that of Justice Amina Augie, who was nominated to the Court of Appeal from the Northwest region. Like Ms. Jombo-Ofo, Ms. Amina Augie was married to an indigene of Kebbi State and worked for several years as a judge in Sokoto State. “With such striking resemblance between the situations of these two justices, what is the justification for discriminating against Justice Jombo-Ofo?” asked one respondent.
Various groups and individuals have been condemning Justice Alooma-Muktar’s action. In a move two days ago, the Nigerian Senate asked the CJN to immediately swear in the Abia-married justice.
Comments
14 comment(s)
Post a comment
confused
Submitted by ehis (not verified) on November 11, 2012 - 05:07.
I think I'm really confuse here,
Why will one change his or her
State of origin if the motive
Is right? When is Anambra's turn
U claim Anambra! When its abia
U quickly change ur state of
Origin to that of Abia! What is
Wrong with Nigerians? Why is she
Despirate? Cos it happen before
Those not make it right. I congratulate
The CJN on that and I pray she substain
Her up rightness in issue like this.
CJN carry go.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 11, 2012 - 03:43.
If the lady in question has flipped her state in order to get a position,then she should be denied that slot as a matter of principle. The reason the case went to the Senate could be because she is well connected. Sahara reporters please give the history of the case so that people will understand. The CJN promised to be different,let's hope and pray she follows through.
CJN and Madam Jombo Ofo
Submitted by Merem Emeribe (not verified) on November 11, 2012 - 00:49.
Dear CJN,it has hurt many of us who by virtue of our exposure and belief in gender equality supported your appointment. Your present position on the swearing in of Ofo is not tenable in all ramifications.Fortunately, all well meaning Nigerians and Abians in particular have asked you to rescind your decision for the interest of this tottering nation. Indeed, it is also to your interest that you do so because we are no longer going to tolerate such disgusting attempts to destroy Nigeria.It may even be better to have a cleansing of all characters planning to destroy and destabilize Nigeria than have them occupy positions of authority like you. We must start somewhere to build a better nation.
When did Appeal court position become a 'kalokalo' slot?
Submitted by Kool (original) (not verified) on November 11, 2012 - 00:20.
Who are the faceless lawyers bearing tale by the moonlight in an attempt to whimp up sentiment that Justice Jombo-Ofo is being discriminated against rather than them take a stand for the rule of law, honesty and integrity. Why is there a FIFA rule that disallows players to represent another country once they have worn the shirt of one country?
Are these tale bearers claiming ignorance of Ifeoma's application for the same position as an indigine of Anambra state 4 years ago? How come she put in a new claim of being an Abia indigine by marriage to exploit an Abia opening? Why is Justice Jombo-Ofo so desperate to be in the court of appeal by hook or crook?
That these tale bearers are alleged to be lawyers making this kind of parochial, subjective and jaundiced allegation is worrisome. The likes of Justice Ifeoma should never be allowed in the Court of Appeal. It is her type that gets to the court only to dish out dubious judgements. Let remain in Abia State to eat and have her cake.
The living dead or the dead living
Submitted by Serpico (not verified) on November 11, 2012 - 00:11.
Nigeria is a nation of the dead. The only thing that is celebrated in Nigeria is death. They love to attend funerals and anything that is associated with death. Whilst other countries are going forward Nigeria is regressing. It is all to do with the thinking of the people. They think like dead people, they act like dead people and are dead people. Long live the land of the Zombies!
attention senatepresident
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 10, 2012 - 23:19.
There are many who have no one to fight for them.go to all the state see the rot.nigeria ls a funny set up.drawn on religious,ethnicity.sex.personal interest.GOD HELP US.
CJN IS RIGHT!
Submitted by Idahor S.O (not verified) on November 10, 2012 - 23:16.
BEFORE COMMENTING ON THIS ISSUE, ONE MUST BE SURE THAT FACTS ARE KNOWN! CJN MUST HAVE STRONG REASONS FOR HER ACTION. THE JUDICIARY NEEDS TOTAL CLEANING. HERE IS A CJN REFUSING THE BUSINESS AS USUAL APPROACH TO ISSUES AND NIGERIANS ARE CONDERMING HER. THE FACTS THAT IS WAS DONE BEFORE DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT. THE FACTS THAT ISIJOLA HAS ALWAYS BEEN SEEN AS A GOAT, DOES NOT FOLLOW THAT ISIJOLA MUST REMAIN A GOAT.SHE VOWED TO CLEAN UP THE SYSTEM, THIS IS JUST ONE WAY OF DOING IT!
selective call of injustice funny country:
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 10, 2012 - 23:04.
There is a case in point in kano state,she has been due for elevation to court of appeal since 1992.she is being denied.this year,she is told that, she is not from kano state.she is married to a kano man who is a SAN!yet because she has no one to fight for her,she rots as high court judge.DAVID MARK SHE IS YOUR SISTER FIGHT FOR HER.
Is this one Nigeria
Submitted by Joseph (not verified) on November 10, 2012 - 22:43.
Millions of Ibo were killed during the civil war according to Nigerian government, to keep Nigeria one.
Are we one Nigeria 42 years after the bloody war. People are still classified based on their tribe and state of origin when Barack Obama, the son of a first generation immigrant has just been re-elected in USA
200% support for the CJN
Submitted by Olugary (not verified) on November 10, 2012 - 21:38.
The only reason the country is in a mess is because those in public offices discharge their duties on the basis of compromise rather than principle and conviction on the sense of what is morally right. Those that cannot be trusted to act fairly in a seemingly simple situation cannot be expected to act with integrity when the matter at hand has grave implication for the public at large. It is easy for corrupt and bent public officers to
act on the basis of emotional or other primodial sentiments. A judge that can flip her state of origin depending on what is convenient would not hesitate to sell judgement to the highest bidder. The CJN has my support 200%
Mary Odili claimed slots,
Submitted by Oyonukeke (not verified) on November 10, 2012 - 21:18.
Mary Odili claimed slots, wherever she comes from and south south slot of her nefarious husband Peter Odili, denying Justice Denton- West of the South south Supreme Court slot who is far more her senior. I was very proud of this CJN when she was appointed but with this single action I really do think she has joined the rank and file of corrupt judges and i am so disappointed in her. She must revise that decision if she is to have any credibility.
Mary Odili did exactly the same thing. What is wrong with this country and the judiciary? I am not sure where the woman comes from. Looks like an Hausa woman. It does not really matter where she comes from; she must understand that a woman's state of origin is her husband's state.
Woman to woman
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 10, 2012 - 20:13.
Women are the most jelousy species ever and the CJN case is of no exemption. How learned is this woman in question? She is afraid of loosing out to her as a rival , as she may out smart her in the near future. It is a matter of injustice and She has clearly shown that "our judiciary is sick and needs a complete over hauling". A village peasant farmer and untutored one of course can prove this case beyond reasonable doubts in a bigger society. Thats Naija for you.
Please leave the CJN alone
Submitted by Victor (not verified) on November 10, 2012 - 20:05.
Probity is in question here. This woman has completed a form indicating she is from Anambra state for a previous Appeal Court position. Why should she change her state of origin again. This is the issue with us in Nija. Anything goes. Because it happened to others does not mean we should continue to condone what is wrong. All the lawyers shouting are doing so without understanding of the issue. I support the CJN. We must change our attitude
When the CJN was appointed, I
Submitted by Dora (not verified) on November 10, 2012 - 19:47.
When the CJN was appointed, I was proud to be a Nigerian woman. Now I am filled with shame. My question to the CJN, if Mary Odili was elevated to the court of appeal on the slot of Rivers state, why can't Jombo-Ofo on Abia slot? Why are women wicked to ourselves? This is a disgrace. The CJN has tried to justify her stand but it just reads WICKEDNESS! And why are the women NGO's quiet? Why is Dame Patience quiet?
