C/River: Lawmakers tackle speaker over delay in chief judge’s confirmation
Speaker of Cross River State House of Assembly Jonas Williams Eteng was yesterday under attack over delay in the consideration of Governor Ben Ayade’s request for screening and confirmation of the acting chief judge of the state, Akon Ikpeme, for substantive appointment. Members representing Bakassi and Calabar Municipality state constituencies, Dr Ekpo Ekpo Bassey and […]
Speaker of Cross River State House of Assembly Jonas Williams Eteng was yesterday under attack over delay in the consideration of Governor Ben Ayade’s request for screening and confirmation of the acting chief judge of the state, Akon Ikpeme, for substantive appointment.
Members representing Bakassi and Calabar Municipality state constituencies, Dr Ekpo Ekpo Bassey and Efa Esua, respectively yesterday requested the speaker to allow the matter be deliberated on the floor of the House since the acting capacity would expire on March 2 but he declined, saying it was not listed as an urgent matter for the day.
The speaker explained, “We cannot take a matter that is not before us. Please agitation or deliberation on this matter is closed for now. We are all Cross Riverians. You cannot be more worried on this matter than we all here. Let us be orderly and follow the rule of the house.”
The governor is said to prefer one Justice Eneji to be appointed chief judge of the state upon retirement of Justice Michael Edem and that threw up controversy in the state amongst members of the Bar and Bench.
That caused the National Judicial Commission to write to both the governor and the assembly insisting on Justice Ikpeme, being the next most senior judge in the state.
Ayade had on December 9, written to the assembly requesting for her confirmation.
Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, Efa Esua, accused the speaker of politicising the matter.
“The tenure of the acting CJ will expire in a matter of days. The NJC had approved that the most senior judge in the state be appointed but the governor and the speaker have been dragging their feet because they seem to favour a man, one Justice Eneji, who is from their senatorial district as the CJ,” he claimed.