By Robert Egbe
The President of the Enugu State Customary Court of Appeal, Justice George Chibueze Nnamani, has made a case for customary courts’ jurisdiction in the eastern region to be expanded to include hearing and determining of chieftaincy matters.
He urged members of the Eastern Bar Forum (EBF) to back his call, noting that at present, the jurisdiction over chieftaincy matters lies with the region’s high courts.
The judge spoke at the quarterly meeting of the EBF which held in Enugu.
Justice Nnamani said: “I urge you to lend your voices to the need to decongest the high courts of our eastern states by relocating the jurisdiction to hear and determine chieftaincy disputes to the customary arm of the state Judiciary where it rightly belongs.
“Every chieftaincy dispute is, from the crown on its head to the soles of its feet, customary. The appropriate courts to hear them are, therefore, the courts specially created to hear customary matters.
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“You will catch my drift if you consider the fact that in Enugu State, for example, (1) all Customary Courts are presided over by legal practitioners, (2) a majority of these lawyers are qualified to be judges of superior courts of record, and (3) a good number of them are Ph.D. holders.”
Earlier, the state’s Chief Judge, Justice N.P. Emehelu called for unity among the Bar and the Bench in the interest of justice.
She said: “The Bar and the Bench belong to the same body of profession performing various duties in our areas of call – all for the benefit and interest of justice. The need to have a good working relationship between the Bar and the Bench cannot be over emphasized.
“It is worthy of note that the Judiciary of Enugu State has continued to enjoy cordial relationship with the various branches of the NBA in Enugu State.”
Chairman of the EBF Governing Council, Mr. S. Long Williams urged Southeasterners and Southsoutherners to unite in their own interest.
Williams said: “The fault lines of 1967 must never be allowed to repeat itself; we must make and take conscious efforts to bring our people together.
The group presented awards to the governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike; Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe; Chief Anthony Muogboh (SAN) and Mr Nnamdi Otukwu.
The group elected new members of her governing council with former Chairman NBA Awka branch, Mr Uba Anene as Chairman.
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