6 October 2020
The Governor of Cross River State and the Speaker of the 9th Cross River State House of Assembly, CRSHA, have both been recently tasked to 'do the right thing' especially in respect of Justice Akon Ikpeme and her rightful occupation of the well-deserved office of Chief Judge of the state NEGROIDHAVEN can say authoritatively.
This task was made by a former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Cross River, Eyo O. Ekpo, while the latter was reacting to the content of the viral video featuring Victor Ndoma-Egba SAN who made an observation on the issue of the office of State Chief Judge during his valedictory speech before their Lordships of the High Court of Cross River State.
Ekpo categorically stated thus: 'Mr. Governor and Mr. Speaker, clear this mess by doing the right thing and while we wait for that to happen, the State does need an Acting Chief Judge. Only one person qualifies and that is the very same Justice Akon Ikpeme.'
Observing earlier, Ekpo said: 'Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN in this video has said everything on this matter of appointing a Chief Judge that anyone can say to Governor Ben Ayade and Speaker Eteng Jones. It is summed up in 4 words…do the right thing.
'It is a sheer waste of time and effort to run around Abuja lobbying the NJC to clear a self-created mess by kicking Justice Akon Ikpeme, upstairs and out of the way, to the Court of Appeal in the name of “promotion”. No, that would mean rubber stamping Executive overreach and Legislative impunity.'
Recall that the 9th Cross River State House of Assembly CRSHA after a heated debated Monday 2nd March 2020, rejected the National Judicial Council's NJC nomination of Honourable Justice Akon Ikpeme to the office of Chief Judge of Cross River State, on grounds that she is from Akwa Ibom State and therefore a security risk.
At the valedictory session in honour of Late Elder Barrister Oriri Ekom Oriri
that was presided over by Justice Ayade Emmanuel Ayade at the High Court Complex, Calabar said 'Ndoma-Egba in his statement made available to our correspondent, He stated that today the judiciary of Cross River State is passing through a most needless and indeed useless crisis of succession.
'I say needless and useless because if we had simply done what is right we will not be in this quagmire, Justice, fairness and correctness are without colour. They are unisex and are without tribe or ethnic coloration. Therefore to ethnicise justice in anyway, especially by us lawyers is to betray and belittle our calling.'
The State since then have been without a Chief Judge with the appointment of an acting Chief Judge in Justice Maurice Eneji.
