‘NJC is over-stepping its bounds’

The National Judicial Council is over stepping its bounds by trying to usurp the constitutional powers of state governors for appointing state chief judges.

Chief Charles Edosomwan, SAN, a delegate from Edo state disclosed this during the plenary of the National Conference yesterday.

He said the NJC, though a recommending body, is exercising over-bearing influence of wrestling the constitutional powers conferred on state governors to appoint chief judges.

“NJC has overstepped its recommendation status granted it by the constitution. It has usurped constitutional powers of state governors in appointment of state chief judges,” he said.

“The over-bearing influence of this recommending body is already creating tensions across the states. The situation is very bad and we need to do something about it before it is too late,” he added.

But Mr Ajayi James Olawale, from National Youths Council of Nigeria, interrupted him, saying Edosomwan was referring to the case in Rivers State and the conference won’t dabble into that because the case is pending in a court of law.

Edosomwan responded, saying it’s not true. He said such problems were not restricted to Rivers. He said there were similar cases in Adamawa, Enugu, Anambra states, among others.

He said NJC usurped constitutional power of governors, “thereby delaying adjudication process in these states enmeshed in this problem.”

He said it’s high time that the needless controversy is halted, “because so many cases of fundamental human rights are involved.”