By Charles Igbo
On April 30, when Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, appointed Hon. Justice Mathew Emeka Njoku, the Acting President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Imo, not many people knew that but for the mis-steps of former Governor Rochas Okorocha, Njoku wouldn’t have been appointed. And, perhaps, two women would have been at the head of the two courts in Imo.
Governor Uzodinma had, a couple of months ago, appointed the Honourable Justice Ijeoma Agugua as the Acting Chief Judge of the State. But in the case of the Customary Court of Appeal, it was a case of, as in a local parlance, “Cunny man die, cunny man bury am”
This magazine gathered that Okorocha had, during his tenure as governor, appointed the Hon. Justice Christie Anwuka as the Acting President of the Imo Customary Court of Appeal.
In appointing her according a reliable source, he breached the unwritten “seniority law” in Judicial appointments.
Unless under very extraordinary circumstances, the most senior Judge usually heads any arm of the Judiciary.
The most senior Judge in the Customary Court at the time, our sources disclosed, was the Hon. Justice Francis Chukwuma Abosi.
When the former President of the court died, the expectation was that Abosi, as the most senior, was going to step in as the Acting President, pending his confirmation. But it was not to be.
Okorocha did the unprecedented. Abosi had no pending disciplinary case against him. But Okorocha by-passed him, denied him the position, and appointed Hon Justice Christie Anwuka to the position.
Anwuka was junior to Abosi. But the then Governor appointed her all the same.
Not a few people were of the strong view that Okorocha by-passed Abosi for Anwuka because of his family relationship with her. They are in-laws. Okorocha’s daughter is married to Justice Anwuka’s son.
For the records, Justice Anwuka’s husband is Prof. Tony Anwuka, a former Vice Chancellor of Imo State University, immediate past Minister for State, Education, who was Okorocha’s Campaign DG for Governorship in 2011.
Judiciary sources told this nagazine that Okorocha ought to have confirmed Anwuka’s appointment after three months in an acting capacity. But he did not. They said he kept delaying, for reasons not quite known.
He delayed sending his name for confirmation to the State Judiciary Commission for onward confirmation to the NJC.
Our source explained that as the delay continued, the State also needed High Court Judges. Under pressure, Okorocha recommended a number of would-be Judges to the State Judicial Commission for confirmation and onward recommendation to the NJC. But just before then, he had, then, also sent Anwuka’s name to the Commission, which also forwarded to the NJC.
Yes, Anwuka’s name was sent, but Okorocha spoilt it by putting on hold the names he had forwarded for confirmation as State High Court Judges. Said the source to the magazine, “Okorocha, suddenly, citing paucity of funds, put on hold the names he sent to the State Judiciary Commission as Judges for onward transmission to the NJC.
“The State Judiciary Commission felt short-changed. That was where the problem started. They accused Okorocha of using them to send his in-law’s name to the NJC for confirmation as the President of the Imo Customary Court of Appeal.
“In anger and retaliation, they withdrew Anwuka’s name from the NJC for confirmation.”
That was the State of things when The Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha became the Governor, and righted the wrong.
Ihedioha appointed Abosi in an acting capacity, in place of Anwuka.
He, also, swore-in the other Judges whose appointments Okorocha had put on hold.
Unfortunately, Abosi was, penultimate week, suspended from office, and recommended for compulsory retirement to Govenor Uzodinma. The NJC said Abosi falsified his date of birth from 1952 to 1958.
In obedience to the NJC, Uzodinma, on April 30, appointed Njoku as the Acting President of the Customary Court of Appeal.
Anwuka is still a Judge, but seems to have been left in the lurch, apparently for no fault of hers.
Said a source, “She is a victim of Okorocha’s non- adherence to due process”.
