The High Court Complex, Owerri, has been comatose since this week, as news of the sacking of 10 Imo State judges, by the National Judicial Council (NJC) continues to reverberate.
While some staff and lawyers were seen in groups, discussing in low tones, about what they called “the tsunami that was visited on Imo State Judiciary by the NJC,” a good number of litigants wore gloomy faces as they lamented that their cases could not be heard.
One of the litigants, who simply identified himself as Chiekezi, said: “My matter, which has been lingering for years, was almost at the point of getting the judgment but with what has happened now, the matter will start afresh and this is if and when a Chief Judge who will assign it to a judge, is appointed!
“My fear is that I don’t see the reassignment of my case happening in the next one or two months. It is a personal loss.”
A concerned citizen, Chike Azuoma, said, “It is sad to note that Imo State, to the best of my knowledge, appears to be the only state in Nigeria that does not have a Chief Judge, an Attorney General and an Administrative Judge!
“What this means is that the judiciary in the state, the third arm of government, is simply non-existent or if you like to use a milder word, comatose.
“Just a few days ago, Governor Hope Uzodimma decried the state of the state’s judiciary and this is not to say that he has no blame in all these.
“Beyond this, I really don’t understand how any serving judge should be involved in age falsification. We are talking about people who are supposed to be above board, people who ought to speak truth to power.”
Answering another question, Azuoma appealed to Governor Uzodimma to arrest the dwindling fortunes in the Judiciary, adding that “the ultimate victims are the innocent citizens”.
VANGUARD
