New Telegraph

Group urges A’Ibom CJ to back out of jailed lawyer’s case

 

A group, Akwa Ibom Integrity Alliance has asked the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom state, Justice Ekaete Obot to back out of the ongoing suit for which a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong has been incarcerated for one month.

Recall that state CJ has last week sentenced Effiong to one month imprisonment at the Uyo Correctional Centre for alleged contempt of court and unruly behaviour.

Effiong was the lead counsel to one Mr. Leo Ekpenyong in a libel suit instituted by Governor Udom Emmanuel and Senator Effiong Bob.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, Chairman of the group, Stephen Abia explained that the call for the CJ to recuse himself on the case for based on the need for him to maintain his integrity and that of the state judiciary.

“To avoid a continuous desecration of the temple of justice of which the Honourable Chief Judge remains the chief priest, especially, taken for granted that our learned friend, Mr. Inibehe Effiong, may not in truth be purged of such unfortunate contemptuous displays towards the court in cheap attempts to play to the gallery, we most humbly seek the relief of the Honourable State Chief Judge to consider being recused of the matter as he continues to jealously guard and protect the sanctity of the justice delivery machineries in Akwa Ibom state”, he said.

Abia who frowned at what he described as Inibehe’s contemptuous conduct, posited that Justice Ekaette Obot transfers the matter to another judge, to avoid the continuous insolent behavior of Mr Effiong towards her.

Barr Abia however noted that while democracy encourages human freedom such as the right to expression, “Akwa Ibom Integrity Alliance believes that such rights should not be abused or used for the purpose of destroying societal cohesion and “our fledgling democracy, which is the responsibility of every state to protect in consonance with Aristotle’s postulate in his Nichomachean Ethics that, “the state is a necessary condition of a good life.”

 

He maintained that, “The Akwa Ibom Integrity Alliance had earlier urged the President of the Nigeria Bar Association, Olumide Akpata, Esq. to caution Inibehe accordingly, following his fragrant disregard to decency which he constantly exhibits at the court during the ongoing libel suit instituted against one Mr. Leo Ekpenyong.”

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