Address Imbalances In The Appointment Federal Judges, Rep Ogah Tells NJC
The member representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Rt. Hon. Comrade Chinedu Ogah, OON, has called on the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Honourable Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, to address the imbalance in the recruitment of Judges in the FCT, especially as it concerns Ebonyi State.
Comrade Ogah who is the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory made the disclosure in a statement signed by him observed that Ebonyi was the least represented in the appointment of Federal Judges in the whole country, especially in the South East.
He urged the Chief Judge of FCT High Court, Honourable Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, to rise to the occasion and quickly address the anomaly by including Ebonyi State among the States to participate in the recruitment of Federal Judges in the FCT.
The House of Representatives member appealed that three quota be given to the State, emphasizing that according to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and in line with the Federal Character principle, each State should be included in the recruitment exercise.
The Federal Lawmaker who lamented that Ebonyi State was the least State in the number of Federal Judges in the FCT called on the Chief Judge of FCT High Court to further look inward and include Ebonyi State, amongst the States being considered in the period under review.
He appealed to the National Judicial Commission, NJC, to intervene in the lopsidedness, in order to give Ebonyi State the quota it deserves.
He said: “According to the Constitution of Nigeria and in line with the Federal character principle, each State should be included in the appointment of Federal Judges as Ebonyi remains the least in the number of Judges in FCT.
“I must emphasize that Ebonyi is the least in the number of Judges in the FCT and this imbalance needs to be quickly addressed without any form of contradiction.
“I want to urge the Chief Judge of FCT High Court to look inward and include Ebonyi in the list of Federal Judges. I want to also appeal to the National Judicial Commission, NJC, to look into this imbalance and give Ebonyi State three quotas in the Appeal Court advertisement.”
