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Ijaw Lawyers Forum (ILF) has protested alleged exclusion of lawyers and people of Ijaw extraction in a proposed list of those to be appointed judges into the Delta State Judiciary.
In a protest letter addressed to the Chairman, National Judicial Council (NJC), a copy which was made available to NEXT EDITION on Thursday, the group, which claimed to be a body of lawyers and indigines of Delta, alleged that a list of persons shortlisted for appointment as judges, in their passion excluded people of Ijaw ethnic nationality.
The letter, signed by Barristers Godswill Bibowei Timiyo, and Matthew E. Suowari, Chairman and Secretary, respectively, Ijaw Lawyers Forum, stressed that a “careful perusal of the said list, which captured names of persons from the three senatorial district in the state, revealed that not one of them is from the Ijaw tribe.
“As a people, the Ijaws in Delta State can be found in Bomadi, Burutu, Patani, Warri South-West, Warri North and Warri South Local Government Areas.
“They constitute a large population in the state and have from among them a large number of lawyers in public and private practice, Magistracy and Area Customary Courts who applied for and were recommended by Judges and are eminently qualified to be appointed as Judges.
“They have in the course of their legal practice of over 18 years post call, conducted matters to conclusion in criminal, civil, land and matrimonial causes.”
The forum added that the secrecy that characterised the exercise left much to be desired, stressing that “Contrary to Rule 3 (1) (a) (i) of the extant revised NJC Guidelines and Procedural Rules for the Appointment of Judicial Officers of all Superior Courts of Records in Nigeria, November 3, 2014, the ‘Call for expression of interest by suitable candidates’ was not published on the ‘Notice Boards Of The Courts And Notice Boards Of Nigeria Bar Association Branches’ in Delta State.
“The above position played out in the monthly meeting of the Nigeria Bar Association, Warri Branch, which came up in April, 2019. When the question was asked if there was any letter to the branch on ‘Call For Expression of Interest By Suitable Candidates’ to apply for the position of a judge in Delta State Judiciary, the chairman of the branch answered in the negative.
“Furthermore, a careful consideration of the list of Judges and Judicial Officers in Delta State reveals the composition as follows: In the High Court, out of over 30 judges, Ijaws have only two judges. In the Customary Court of Appeal, Ijaws has no judge at all.
“In the Revenue Court, which has 21 judges, Ijaw has only one judge. In the Magistrate Court, which has 104 magistrates, Ijaw has only four.”
The forum maintained that from the above it was clear that the Ijaw had been greatly marginalised and sidelined by the government and were not fairly treated in previous appointment.
It added: “From the list just published, same is about to repeat itself in the on-going appointment exercise. For emphasis, the list just published contains 12 names from each senatorial district.
“No person from Ijaw extraction was shortlisted in a senatorial district that has Ijaw, Itsekiri and Isoko as her major tribes. We therefore say no to further sectionalism and breach of the constitution vis-à-vis federal character as a people.
“Although trite, we consider it necessary to state that by law, appointment into public offices must take into cognisance the composition of the state. We are of the view that the list just released and the present composition of the judiciary in the state seriously marginalises the Ijaws as a tribe and offends our constitution.
“In the circumstance therefore, we humbly appeal that a fresh look be taken at the list just released with a view to correcting this very obvious anomaly and neglect. Justice in the appointment of judges must not only be done, but must be seen to be done. Ijaws have a right to be appointed as judges.”
