A mild drama ensued recently at the Chief Magistrate Court 1, Aba North Magisterial District, when two chief magistrates, struggled for court room as the rightful chief magistrate, to preside on the day’s proceedings.
Chief Magistrate E.C.N. Kalu, who has been sitting as the administrative presiding Chief Magistrate Court 1 Aba North since the last quarter of last year when the former Chief Magistrate, Anthony Okereke, retired in August 2017, was transferred to the Aba North Magisterial District was in her chambers earlier preparing to take off her usual duties which was stated by the lawyers that she sits by 9.00am during her sitting days.
At about 8.55am, another Chief Magistrate, Chief Magistrate E. E. Onuoha, drove into the court premises and went into the same Chambers of the same Chief Magistrate Court 1 Aba North and demanded that Chief Magistrate Kalu should leave the court room for him as he said that he has come to take back his court.
Both chief magistrates argued in chambers with their voices raised to the hearing of litigants and lawyers who were in court.
While Chief Magistrate Kalu was trying to persuade Chief Magistrate E. E. Onuoha that she is still the rightful person to preside over the days of sitting, Ukaegbu insisted that he has come to take back his court.
Kalu, however, told him that she has not been served with any letter of transfer to another court nor any memorandum to that effect. Ukaegbu insisted that it was not his duty to serve her any letter to that effect.
At about 9.20am, Chief Magistrate Kalu appeared in the court hall and addressed lawyers and litigants as to the confusion and pleaded that she was not going to sit for the day as she did not come to drag any court with her colleague “learned brother” who has come “to take his court”.
After her address, she entered her chambers and left, while lawyers and litigants were asked to adjourn their matters “off record”.
Our reporter who interviewed some lawyers stated that when the Administrative presiding Chief Magistrate Anthony Okeke retired in August 2017, that Onuoha, who was the presiding Chief Magistrate Court 2 Aba North, immediately relocated to the Aba North Court 1 as the Admin/presiding Chief Magistrate, which led to an impasse that the Chief Administrator had to visit the Aba North Magistrate Court from Umuahia and the court hall was locked for a period before Chief Magistrate Kalu was posted from Umuahia to the Aba North Magistrate Court 1 as the Administrative/presiding Chief Magistrate of the Magisterial District.
The question of who should be in charge of Court 1 Aba North left many lawyers interviewed by our Reporter confused as many of them instead of answering the question rather smiled and drove off.
At the State High Court Complex, Umuahia, efforts made to speak with the state Acting Chief Judge, Hon Justice Onuoha Ogwe, or the Chief Registrar, Benson Anya, proved abortive, as they were not around when our Reporter visited.
However, a source who pleaded anonymity attributed the confusion to the recent cancelled posting in the judiciary and that the matter was not that of struggle for supremacy based on seniority but a mere communication gap in the administration of informing their worships about the cancelled postings.
He said that the issue has been amicably resolved with the reposting of Chief Magistrate Onuoha back to Magistrate I, Aba North while Chief Magistrate Kalu has been posted to Osisoma.
