New Telegraph

C’River: Judiciary crisis festers as concerned lawyers protest

Lawyers in Cross River State, under the auspices of the Concerned Lawyers, have protested the absence of a substantive Chief Judge in the state, even as Governor Ben Ayade yesterday swore in Justice Eyo Efiom Ita as Acting Chief Judge. The lawyers, who stormed the State Judiciary Headquarters in Calabar in their hundreds lamented that the absence of a substantive Chief Judge has continued to cripple effective dispensation of justice in the state.

They, however, carried placards with various inscription such as “Cross River State deserves a chief judge;” “We deserve a better judiciary in Cross River State;” “Please members of the CRSHA do not let the executive use you to suppress the judiciary:” “Cross River State House of Assembly has been captured:” “We cannot allow the Judiciary be captured;” and “Litigants are suffering as cases filed cannot be assigned,” among others. Meanwhile, barely one hour after Governor Ayade swore-in Justice Eyo Effiom Ita as the Acting Chief Judge of the state, lawyers in their hundreds stormed the Governor’s Office and blocked the gate.

The lawyers, however, insisted that they won’t accept or recognise any Chief Judge in “acting capacity” in the state, promising to return to the Governor’s Office tomorrow in continuation of their protest.

Their spokesman, Effiom Ayi, noted that the governor and the state lawmakers were playing politics with the issue of a substantive Chief Judge, explaining that the lawyers in the state would not recognise the newly sworn-in Acting Chief Judge.

But no sooner had the lawyers left that youths in their number, protesting against continued strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) arrived at the gate and despite the appeal by the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the State Security Adviser, Alfred Mboto refused to vacate the premises. Ayi, however, regretted that never in the history of the state had the judiciary been enmeshed in a totally avoidable bickering and dirty politics as being witnessed currently in the state.

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