Dan Opara
An elder statesman in Imo State, Prince Bob Njemanze, has recently commended the Imo State Governor, Sen. Hope Uzodimma,in his efforts towards sanitizing the Imo State Judiciary and restore the dignity and integrity of the bench.
Prince Njemanze, a member of the 2014 National Conference opined that the worst legacy of Achike Udenwa’s administration was in institutionalising the abuse of seniority in the appointment of Chief Judge in the Imo State Judiciary.
Prince Njemanze commended Senator Uzodimma for upholding the tenets of equity, fairness and Justice in the appointment of an Acting Chief Judge who had been a victim of untold blackmail, calculated calumny and unimaginable frameups by some beneficiaries of this anomaly and their cohorts who would want it perpetuated for life and from which a very strong and powerful cartel had emerged in Imo judiciary by default.
Most unfortunately their selected beneficiary of the office of the Chief Judges endeavored to put in place a Judicial Service Commission that will determine who the Governor should appoint as his Attorney General and in turn take over justice delivery.
One can see how dirty they are fighting the appointment of the Acting Chief Judge who was not handpicked from their bouquet but rather based on seniority at the bench.
All their usual fabricated documents which they passed through their Judicial Service Commission to an unsuspecting National Judicial Service Commission who naturally would believe these lies to the chagrin of Imo people, their victims are now in place.
Honestly this cartel took its root from Uzodimma’s home base with a governor and an Attorney General who were determined to make their kinsman the Chief Judge to enable them control the courts and have smooth run over their numerous political adversaries.
Ex-Imo Governor, Chief Achike Udenwa discovered rather late in the day that he really did not need a compromised judiciary and being a man with conscience he out of remorse personally saw to the elavation of Hon Justice Ifunanya Udom, the first victim of this his mischief to the Court of Appeal.
Although now at the Court of Appeal, the denial of her due and allegations of embezzlement and all sorts of character assassination made her distraught which culminated in her untimely death.
In Justice Udom’s fight for justice, equity and fairness, she had a very reliable ally, a young Judge who today has grown to face the same onslaught.
A properly packaged, well concocted allegations without room for substantiation has again been placed before the National Judicial Council by an unrelenting and selfish “Attorney General” whose tenure was terminated yet he is forwarding documents through a front, an unemployed loafer who he designated as “honourable” in a petition.
This said petitioner is our common relation, a maternal cousin of Ndukwe Nnawuchi, SAN, being the son of his mother’s younger brother from the same Umuayalu village from where my own mother also devolves from.
This “Honourable” Justine Brown Amadi is an inconsequential unemployed relation of ours, loafing about for handouts.
He therefore can neither access the documents or raise sufficient concern or interest in the appointment of a Chief Judge of the state except if he is anticipating his trial in a criminal court in which case he should sulk up to Ndukwe Nnawuchi, SAN to do his case pro bono.
I was having my fears if Gov. Hope Uzodimma, His Excellency would cave in to undue influences from the greater majority of these people from his area made up of senior lawyers and retired judges to pervert the course of justice and fairness, but the Governor has come of as a man who believes in equity and fairness.
The immediate past Chief Judge and his short lived Attorney General both of whom are the only members of the cartel from my own area are all products of this cartel and having dominated the bench over the years are deep rooted and holdsway in the Judiciary of the state.
It takes a large and determined mind to unravel a cartel and restore order.
I salute Distinguished Senator, His Excellency Hope Uzodimma for initiating the process that will eliminate this virus.
It has gone its full cycle. And the cure is here.
