Alleged misappropriation: Benue Assembly approves removal of Chief Justice Ikpambese

From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi

Members of the Benue State House of Assembly, on Tuesday, approved the immediate removal of the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Maurice Ikpambese for alleged gross misappropriation of funds amongst others.

The House which took the decision during its plenary on Tuesday, also accused the Chief Judge of abuse of office by issuing a directive to overturn the Benue State Electoral Law duly passed by the Benue State House of Assembly and assented to by the Governor of the state.

In a correspondence by Governor Hyacinth Alia and the read on the floor of the House by the Majority Leader Saater Tiseer, the governor alleged misappropriation and mismanagement of the Budgetary Allocation and Finances of the Benue State Judiciary by the Chief Judge.

He also named his engagements with politicians and political office holders for favourable judicial outcomes, indirect participation and incitement of industrial actions against the state executive, acts of bribery and corruption as well as undue favouritism and dire insistence on cronies holding unmerited judicial positions.

The letter read, “Mr. Speaker, since his emergence as the Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpambese spends way beyond the budgetary allocation of the judiciary. Similarly, he has not, by the string of any imagination rendered account of expenditures from the state judiciary.

“There is a huge discrepancy in the financial figures under his watch from our findings. We shall consider this ground on financial infractions from the Benue State High Court, the Customary Court of Appeal and the Benue State Judicial Service Commission

“Available records secured from remittances from the Accountant- General to High Court of Justice from January to December, 2024 and Bank Statements from High Court of Justice covering Zenith Bank, First Bank, Fidelity Bank and Unity Bank indicate convincingly that Justice M.A. Ikpambese over spent the 2024 budget on International Travels,& Training and Renovation of office buildings to the tune of N666,984,687.20 which contravened sections 0206, 0632 and 0635 of the Financial Instructions (FI)”

The Governor therefore prayed the house to forthwith, make the necessary recommendations for the removal of Honourable Justice Maurice Ikpambese as the Chief Judge of Benue State in line with Section 292(1)(a)(II) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended) while directing the forwarding of a complaint to the National Judicial Council so as to carry out an honest, independent, hitch-free, transparent and diligent investigation into these allegations, especially as they relate to the abuse of his office as Judicial Officer demonstrated by his confrontational disregard for the laws enacted by the state legislature and the financial infractions against him pending the recommendation of the National Judicial Council as provided in Section 292(1)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended).

He also urged the House to recommend for immediate swearing in of the next-in-line Judicial Officer within the state as the Acting Chief Judge of Benue State.

In his ruling, the Speaker, Hon Hyacinth Dajo asked the clerk of the house to divide the House during which 23 members voted for the removal of the Chief Judge.

Dajoh said, “the Chief Judge stand removed and the next in line should be sworn in immediately as acting Chief Judge of the State.