By Gideon Njoku
It was supposed to be a day of joy for the Imo Judiciary, especially, for the families of those who had just been elevated to the position of High Court Court Judges.
For the state Judiciary, it was a big relief. Serving Judges have been overwhelmed and completely over-worked by the number of cases before them. Too many cases. Very few Judges.
They have been praying for a breather which ought to have come since by the appointment of new Judges to help lessen their burden.
It is not that the state is lacking in Judicial officers due for elevation. It has many qualified Judicial officers waiting to be elevated.
The immediate past Rochas Okorocha administration almost solved the problem. But the former governor disappointed.
Interviews had been conducted for those deemed qualified to be elevated. But just as they were waiting for the names of the successful ones to be announced, Okorocha halted the process.
It was like setting a table for lunch for a famished group of people, and then, removing the food as soon as they entered to pounce on it. One Counsel said it was like denying a crying baby a candy when you had shown it to the baby.
Okorocha’s reason for stopping the process, it is said was: “I have no money to pay them”. By so doing, he encouaged delays in the dispensation of justice. The consequence was denial of justice. Justice delayed, is justice denied, a wise popular saying emphasis.
So, this other day when incumbent Governor, Emeka Ihedioha, excuse the cliché, took the bull by the horn, and swore-in a total of nine Judges – seven High Court Judges, and two Customary Court Judges, it was double whammy in the State – Joy in the State Judiciary for the relief the new appointees would bring to the system, and joy for the new appointees whose elevation had been so delayed that they had lost hope of it ever happening.
The already serving Judges were over-joyed. The workload would reduce.
But suddenly, even in their joy, their faces turned gloomy. Sad, almost.
It began when they saw the brand new official vehicles Ihedioha bought for the new Judges – Ford SUVs. It was not that they were not happy for their new, younger, colleagues. They were. It is just that they could not but remember their sad situation. Their humiliation.
They parade second hand vehicles, popular as Tokunbo cars as their official vehicles – Toyota Highlander. Even the official vehicle of the Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Paschal Nnadi, is a Tokunbo vehicle.
Said an angry senior lawyer to this magazine: “Governance was so debased in this state that Okorocha bought Judges, including the Chief Judge, second hand vehicles as official vehicles”.
Another told the story of the second hand cars.
“I know from where Okorocha bought the cars. It was from a friend of mine. It cost N2.7million a piece. It is a big shame. Many of us planned to protest the insult on behalf of the Judges. But the Chief Judge was not forthcoming. He kept quiet in the face of the insult to his office.
“On purchase, the cars were taken to government house for re-spraying”.
Another senior lawyer narrated the humiliation Imo Judges go through at the annual All Judges Conference.
His words: “It is easy to know Judges from Imo at the Conference. When the drivers of Judges from other states pull out in vehicles., you can call machines, at the end of everyday to pick their principals, Imo Judges assemble at one corner to wait for a hired bus to pick them to their hotel.”
On one occasion, he narrated, the securitymen at the gate to the conference venue refused their bus entry, telling them that only Judges vehicles are allowed. They were saved when one of the Judges, in a subdued voice, told them: ‘We are are Judges from Imo State’.
“They could not use their official vehicles because they are likely to break down on the way to Abuja. It is such a shame”, he lamented.
As it is, the Judges now hope that Ihedioha, who has exhibited great respect for the Judiciary, by providing brand new official vehicles for the new Judges, would listen to their lamentations, and wipe their shame off their faces – long before the next All Judges Conference. Perhaps.
