The Senate has strongly criticized the elimination of Benue State’s Chief Choose, Justice Maurice Ikpambese, by the Benue State Home of Meeting, describing the motion as unconstitutional.
This place was taken following a movement raised by the Minority Chief, Senator Abba Moro (Benue South), who denounced the dismissal as a blatant disregard for due course of.
Senator Moro knowledgeable the Senate that Justice Ikpambese was ousted on Wednesday in what he termed a violation of the constitutional provisions governing the appointment and elimination of state chief judges.
“The disaster originates from the purported elimination of Justice Dambisi Norris, the Chief Choose of Benue State, by the State Home of Meeting with out adhering to the provisions of the 1999 Structure, as amended. Sections 153 and 271 explicitly state that the Nationwide Judicial Council (NJC) is the one physique approved to nominate or take away state chief judges,” he famous.
Learn additionally: Senate calls on FG to honour late Afenifere chief Ayo Banjo
He additional emphasised that the Structure clearly outlines the right process for such actions, and any deviation poses a severe menace to democracy.
“Part 292(1)(a) of the Structure specifies the authorized course of for eradicating a state’s Chief Choose. Nevertheless, the Benue Meeting, both out of ignorance or a deliberate try to undermine the Structure, proceeded to unilaterally go a decision eradicating the Chief Choose,” he added.
Moro additionally revealed that 13 lawmakers who opposed the transfer have been suspended for 3 months by the Speaker, Hon. Aondona Dajor.
Expressing concern over the event, Senator Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West) warned that such unconstitutional acts may set a harmful precedent for governance in Nigeria.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio condemned the incident, noting that the matter was already underneath evaluation by the related judicial authorities.
To make sure compliance with due course of, the Senate directed its Committee on Judiciary and Authorized Issues to analyze the state of affairs and submit a report inside two weeks.
