The Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Rivers State chapter, yesterday backed the appointment of Justice P.N.C. Agumagu as the Rivers State acting chief judge.
The NBA said no law was broken in the acting CJ’s appointment.
The Rivers NBA Chairman, Lawrence Oko-Jaja, spoke yesterday when he led a delegation to the Acting CJ at the Rivers State High Court complex, Port Harcourt.
Oko-Jaja said: “The judges were here yesterday to congratulate him, so we are just replicating what they did. And if the judges, who are more experienced than us, did not say his appointment was a controversy, then who are the NBA to do otherwise? I think he deserves the appointment as the acting chief judge of the state.
“All what the NBA is saying is that within the short period of his tenure as the acting chief judge, he should try to carry the judges and the Bar along and ensure that those issues affecting the judiciary and the Bar are taken care.”
The head of NBA Human Rights Unit, Port Harcourt branch, Austine Efe Ojekudo, said Justice Agumagu’s appointment was not against the law as being speculated.
Ojekudo said: “The Customary Court of Appeal law recognises that the President of the Customary Court of Appeal at anytime shall rank next to the chief judge. Of course, in order of precedence, he shall rank the highest to the other judges both in the Customary Court of Appeal and in the High Court; so, the appointment of My Lord is in order.”
Senior lawyers, represented by Granville Isetima Abibo (SAN), also said the appointment was legal.
Adibo said: “We want to congratulate you and believe that God will continue to protect you. You have done well in the past in setting up the Customary Court, because there was a time when it was who will go but you volunteered to go and for that reason we will not forget you.
“You made it possible for us here to achieve our success. We are solidly behind you, but pray that you will sustain the tempo and the relationship between the Bar and the Bench must be extended to your office as long as you carry us along.”
Justice Agumagu thanked the NBA and promised to live up to expectation.
He said: “I want to congratulate all the past and present chairmen of NBA who are here to congratulate me. I want to assure you that I will look into your requests, but most importantly I can now boldly do my job, knowing quite well that the Bar is solidly behind me.”
A socio-political group, Rivers Peoples Forum (RPF), condemned the Felix Obuah-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for criticising the appointment.
RPF President Charles Bekwele, in a statement, described Obuah’s comment as “irresponsible, and an embarrassment to Rivers State”.
He said:” There is no controversy on the appointment. Governor Amaechi did the correct thing by appointing Agumagu, who is the most senior judge.”