Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State has raised the alarm over the paucity of judges in the state, saying that the National Judicial Commission (NJC) must intervene to forestall a crisis situation in the state judiciary.
Chime who was speaking on yesterday while swearing in three new Judges of the State Judiciary, also urged the NJC to live up to its responsibility by ensuring the full independence of the judiciary in the country.
The three new judges are Justice Ngozi Rosemary Orji of the State High Court, Justices Chiemelie Onaga and Ada Obayi both of the State Customary Court of Appeal.
The governor said the shortage of Judges in the state was occasioned by retirements, noting that with many more Judges retiring next year, the approval by the NJC of the appointment of only three new Judges could hardly serve the purpose of filling the many vacancies in the state judiciary.
The governor offered to devote his personal efforts and energy towards making the NJC give favourable attention to the call for the appointment new judges in the state.
Lending his voice to the call for appointment of more Judges for the state, the Chief Judge Justice Innocent Umezuluike, warned that failure of the NJC to approve the appointment of new judges for the state before June 2015 would lead to a situation where “the Enugu State Judiciary, will likely stagger and kiss the dust.”
Responding on behalf of her colleagues, Justice Ngozi Orji expressed gratitude to the governor, the state Judicial Service Commission and the NJC for finding them worthy of recommendation to the coveted position
