The National Judicial Council on Thursday recommended the suspended Chief Judge of Abia State, Justice Theresa Uzokwe for compulsory retirement.
The NJC in a statement by its Director of Information, Mr. Soji Oye, said the NJC, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mr. Walter Onnoghen, took the decisions at its 85th meeting which held on Wednesday, March 14.
You will recall that The Abia State House of Assembly had on January 26, 2018 passed a resolution suspending Justice Uzokwe as the state’s Chief Judge, the NJC also went ahead to retire justice Obisike Oji for submitting himself for unconstitutional swearing as the Acting CJ.
Oye, said in his statement that the NJC recommended for the compulsory retirement earlier on Wednesday “following the findings of two investigative committees set up by the council.
The members of the Abia house of assembly following petitions by Dr ACB Agbazuere and others had petitioned Justice Uzokwe before the ABHA and committees were set up to investigate the petitions against her by Umeh Kalu (SAN), the Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice of Abia State, alleging illegal constitution and working with a parallel Judicial Service Commission instead of the one constituted by the state governor and confirmed by the House of Assembly. “Justice Uzokwe was also found to have misconducted himself in suit number, HU/131/2005, wherein he delivered judgment in the sum of N825,000 only in favour of a litigant, but subsequently signed a garnishee order of N109,612,500, only.” The committees found her guilty and recommended her suspension.
But the NJC on January 31, 2018, declared the suspension of Justice Uzokwe, by the House of Assembly of the state as unconstitutional.
The NJC however recommended that she should step aside pending the conclusion of their investigation while recommending the swearing in of an acting CJN for Abia state.
But with the compulsory retirement of Justice Uzokwe by the NJC, the actions of ABHA had been justified while Justice Obisike Oji has been made a scape goat.
