From Henry Ibya, Makurdi
Benue State House of Assembly has described as hasty, the statement by the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, condemning its recommendation for the removal of the Chief Judge, Maurice Ikpambese.
Addressing a press conference Thursday in Makurdi in reaction to the NBA’s position, Majority Leader of the Assembly, Saater Tiseer blamed the lawyers for rushing to judgement without understanding the facts of the matter.
He said the NBA President, Afam Osigwe (SAN), and the General Secretary, Dr Mobolaji Ojibara, relied on incomplete information from social media, rather than consult with the Assembly or review its resolution.
Arguing that the association’s claims were based on poorly researched and erroneous position, Tiseer emphasised that the recommendation of the Assembly was based on Section 292(1)(a)(ii) of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers the governor to remove the chief judge should he carry out certain actions, insisting that the Assembly’s action was based on what the governor sent to it.
The majority leader equally explained that the Assembly did not recommend the removal of Justice Ikpambese as a judicial officer, but rather as the chief judge of Benue State which is a political office.
He also disclosed that the Assembly had referred the petition against Justice Ikpambese to the National Judicial Council, NJC, for investigation and appropriate action.
Tiseer also described the position of Benue Caucus in the National Assembly led by Senator Abba Moro on the matter as shameful.
He noted that the caucus was in Abuja when the immediate past administration was not paying pensions, salaries and gratuities but kept quiet, even when people were suffering and even addressed as dead animals.
