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| Elder David Okon |
16 November 2020
The Eniong Abatim community in Odukpani LGA in Cross River has disclosed that the repeated appointment of State Acting Chief Judge is a mockery of judicial arm of government NEGROIDHAVEN has learnt.
Eniong Abatim which made the disclosure during the weekend through the chairman of the Eniong Abatim community, Elder David Okon, at his home office in Calabar the state capital metropolis, argued that justice demands that Akon Ikpeme be appointed the substantive Chief Justice instead of the repeated appointments in acting capacity hitherto.
His words, ‘A situation where you would want to bring in a kind of divide-and-rule system is not too good for the people. What we are calling for… we are calling for justice. Before the current person was sworn in in acting capacity, there was some other person that was sworn in. We do not care about the legion that would even follow if that would be the order of the day but, what we are asking for is the right thing.
‘We do know, even if we are not lawyers, that the practice before now had been that the highest person in that hierarchy, after Justice Edem left the next person is non other than Justice Akon Ikpeme. That should be the person that should be allowed to. So, all this one that more and more justices are being made Acting Chief Judge… honestly is making a mockery of the judiciary. It’s making a mockery of what ever good things we stand for.
‘I don’t want to know who the current person is because the person does not deserve that position as far as Eniong Abatim is concerned, people should wait for their turn,’ Okon said.
Like EndSARS, like Acting Chief Judge…
Elder Okon earlier likened the absence of the office of Chief Judge of Cross River to the recently staged protest, EndSARS by Nigerian youth. For the politician, EndSARS campaign has sundry dimensions.
According to him, ‘Few days or weeks ago we had the youth on the street asking government to EndSARS. As far as I am concerned, this (lack of Chief Judge for the state) is part of SARS. Because the so-called SARS has alot of connotations. One would just think it has to do with the police men that were brutalising the civilians, no; you find the so-called SARS in almost all fabric of government. And if it is not done away with completely, the future would not really have some good news. And for the actors, unfortunately the legacy they would be leaving behind wouldn’t be too good.’
Cross River has had three acting Chief Judges, namely, Akon Ikpeme, Maurice Eneji and Eyo Effiom Ita who was appointed on 19th of October. The state has stayed for 76 days without a substantive Chief Justice.
