The current Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Mr. Gambo Saleh, has been appointed the new Secretary of the National Judicial Council and Mrs Hadizatu Uwani Mustapha is to replace him as the topmost administrative officer of the apex court.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Chief Justice of Nigeria on Media, Mr. Awassam Bassey, said in a statement on Sunday that Uwani would resume as the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court on July 1, 2017, the same day Saleh would also resume his new position as the Secretary of the NJC.
The statement read in part, “The Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, GCON, has approved the appointment of Mrs. Hadizatu Uwani Mustapha, as the new Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
“Mrs. Mustapha will assume office on July 1, 2017 to replace the current Chief Registrar, Mr. Ahmad Gambo Saleh, who will, on the same day resume in his new position as the Secretary of the National Judicial Council.
“Mrs. Mustapha’s appointment was contained in a Letter of Offer of Appointment signed by the Secretary of the Federal Judicial Service Commission, Mrs. Bilkisu Bashir, OON, dated May 31, 2017.”
Awassam stated that Mustapha was among the six applicants interviewed on May 30, 2017, by the FJSC headed by its Chairman, Justice Onnoghen, who is the CJN and also the Chairman of NJC.
Until her appointment as the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Mustapha was said to be the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory.
The statement added, “Born in Gwoza in Borno State on the August 8, 1961, Mrs. Hadizatu Mustapha holds a Bachelor of Law (LL.B) degree from the University of Maiduguri which she earned in 1984 before attending the Nigerian Law School, Victoria Island, Lagos, for her Barrister at Law (BL) programme in 1985.
“After her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in 1986, Mrs. Mustapha joined the Borno State Ministry of Justice, Maiduguri, in 1987as State Counsel 11 before rising to State Counsel 1 (1990-1993); Senior State Counsel (1993-1996); Assistant Director (1996-1999), and Acting Director, Citizens Rights Department (1999-2000).
“Between 2000 and 2004, Mrs. Hadizatu Mustapha was the Chief Enterprise Officer of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPE), Abuja, where she was the Acting Secretary to three committees: Policy and Monitoring Committee, Transactions Marketing Committee, and Industrial Manufacturing Committee.”
