The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended the compulsory retirement of the Chief Judge of Imo State, Justice T. E. Chukwuemeka Chikeka, and the Grand Kadi of Yobe State, Kadi Babagana Mahdi, for falsification of their ages.
The NJC took the decision at its 107th meeting held between November 13 and 14.
According to a statement by NJC’s spokesperson, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe the council
Suspended Justice G. C. Aguma of the High Court of Rivers State from performing judicial functions for one year without pay and also placed him on a “watch list” for two years thereafter.
Background
In July, the Imo State House of Assembly asked the State governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, to remove the State Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Theresa Ebere Chukwuemeka-Chikek,, from office over alleged age forgery.
The Chief Judge had been accused of claiming in an affidavit that she had sworn on September 6, 2006, that she was born on October 27, 1958, against what she had claimed before 2006. Some relevant documents had shown that she had claimed her date of birth, as October 27, 1956.
In a Petition to the Speaker of the lmo State House of Assembly, dated June 5, 2024, written by the CIVIL SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT PLATFORM and signed by its director of investigation, Comrade Ndubuisi Onyewuchi, the Petitioners had claimed that the Chief Judge was born on October 27, 1956, until 2006 when she swore an affidavit claiming that her date of birth was October 27, 1958.
The petitioners maintained that age falsification by public servants is a very serious offense for which many Judicial Officers had also been dismissed after they had been found guilty of falsifying their individual ages.
The Chief Judge’s Admission Form into the Law School in 1981 has her date of birth as October 27, 1956.
Another document, the Nominal Roll For Directors titled “Disposition Of Directors in lmo State Civil Service Commission”, has her date of birth as 27, 1956.
Her first Appointment at LMO State Civil Service was on July 6, 1983, and her Appointment as Assistant Director GL. 15 on July 1993, respectively, all had her date of birth as October 27, 1956.
However, after the affidavit of September 6, 2006, certain documents began to have her date of birth as October 27, 1958.
Ln the National Judicial Council Nominal Roll Of Judicial Officers for 2013 Budget Proposal, her date of birth was stated as October 27, 1958.
Her international Passport, dated February 23, 2023, has her date of birth as October 27, 1958. Even the Judicial Officers Nominal Roll For the 2018 Budget Proposal had her date of birth as October 27, 1958.
Following the Petition, the leadership of the Assembly set up a 4-man adhoc Committee. The Committee was charged with the task of Properly investigating the age falsification allegation against the Chief Judge of the State and reporting back to the House.
It was gathered that the House ad-hoc Committee had met severally and invited all the relevant persons, including the Petitioners, the Head of Service, the Secretary to the Judicial Service Commission, and the Honourable Chief Judge herself.
The Committee also wrote to all the relevant agencies or bodies, and it was gathered they all replied to the letters sent to them.
While other invitees appeared before the Committee, the Chief Judge wrote to Committee E that she would not honor its invitation.
The Petitioners, personnel of The CIVIL SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT PLATFORM, appeared before the House Committee on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, and acknowledged and adopted the Petition in question as theirs.
In response to the letter of the Assembly’s ad-hoc Committee, dated July 5, 2024, the Secretary to the Council and Director of Administration, LEGAL EDUCATION, NIGERIA LAW SCHOOL, ABUJA, gave the date of birth of the said “Ohanenye Theresa Ebere, Now, Chukwuemeka Chikeka Theresa Ebere, as 27th October 1956”, and that was through a letter dated July, 9th 2024, and Signed by A.O. Osho (Ms), and sent to the House adhoc Committee.
It was also gathered that the Assembly Members had gone ahead to adopt the report of its ad-hoc Committee on the allegation of age falsification against the Chief Judge of the State and had also recommended her dismissal.
In a statement by Hon. Ikenna Ihezuo,
Chairman, House Committee On Judiciary And Information, Imo State House Of Assembly on Wednesday, the Committee recommended that the Governor of Imo State, His Excellency Senator Hope Uzodimma should remove the Chief Judge of Imo State, Honourable Justice Theresa Ebere Chukwuemeka-Chikeka from office for misconduct, in keeping with Section 292(ii) of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended).
In addition, the Committee ruled that the House Resolution on the issue be forwarded to the National Judicial Commission (NJC), for further action.
Following the recommendation of the Committee, and in keeping with the provisions of Section 292 (a)(ii) of the 1999 Constitution, which lists misconduct as one of the grounds on which a Governor, supported by a two-thirds majority of the House Of Assembly, can remove a Chief Judge of a State, the Imo State House Of Assembly has Authorized the Governor of Imo State, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma to remove Honourable Justice Theresa Chukwuemeka-Chikeka from office as the Chief Judge of Imo State.
In 2021, Governor Hope Uzodinma appointed Justice T.E Chukwuemeka-Chikeka, FCIArb as the Acting Chief Judge of Imo State.
