Chief Judge’s removal: Benue assembly replies NBA 

The Benue State House of Assembly (BSHA) Thursday fired back at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for condemning the removal of Chief Judge Hon. Justice Maurice Ahemba Ikpambese.

According to Saater Tiseer, Majority Leader of the Benue State House of Assembly, the NBA’s criticism was hasty and biased, based solely on social media reports.

Tiseer argued that the House followed due process in recommending the Chief Judge’s removal, citing Section 292(1)(a)(ii) of the 1999 Constitution.

“This section allows for the removal of a Chief Judge by the Governor, acting on an address supported by a two-thirds majority of the House of Assembly.”

The Majority Leader emphasised that the House did not recommend the removal of Justice Ikpambese as a judicial officer, but rather as the Chief Judge of Benue State.

“The House has referred the petition to the National Judicial Council (NJC) to determine whether the Chief Judge is culpable of the allegations against him,” he said.

Tiseer criticised the NBA’s leadership for not taking into account the clear provisions of the Constitution before issuing their statement.

He maintained that the state assembly acted within the confines of the law and in the interest of the state.

“The attention of the Benue State House of Assembly has been drawn to the hasty, biased and unfortunate statement issued by Afam Osigwe SAN and Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara purportedly in their capacity as President and Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and we wish to respond that the duo in their haste and excitement to be seen as championing the rule of law rushed to issue a statement on the actions of the Benue State House of Assembly (BSHA) without even sighting the resolution of the House or speaking to any member of the House of Assembly in order to get the full and accurate picture of what transpired in the House.

“It is shocking that an association like the NBA made up of lawyers who understands what the doctrine of “audi alteram partem” is, will rush to press and call the resolution of a House of Assembly made up of 32 elected members ‘laughable’ based ONLY on social media report.

“In that haste, the duo committed the fundamental error of basing its condemnation on a completely non-existent issue and predicted its press release on a very faulty premise relying on sections 153 and 271 of the 1999 Constitution which deals with discipline and removal of judicial officers generally and establishment of the National Judicial Council (NJC),” the statement reads in part.