‘PDP Contributed To New Rivers High Court Law’

The Rivers State House of Assembly has again defended the new State High Court (Amendment) Law 2014, insisting that it followed the due process, including contributions from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other political parties in the state.
Speaking during a radio programme in the Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Hon. Golden Chioma said the memorandum of the state (PDP) led by Felix Obuah was among the Memorandum received and published in the National Newspapers before a public hearing on the amended law.
He dismissed the insinuation in some parts of the state that, the new High Court Law did not follow due process, saying a bill was duely presented in the House, and notice was published for submission of memoranda in the Nation Newspaper three days before an all-inclusive public hearing was held on the bill.
The lawmaker said the Law amendment was not to witch-hunt any person or group but to provide alterative to the present situation in the state judiciary and to fill the void created by the logjam over the appointment of Chief Judge by subsequent administrations.
He also stated that the existing law of 2001 does not make the governor a rubber stamp to the National Judiciary Council, (NJC), arguing that the Governor has the right to accept or reject the NJC recommendation.
According to him, the best the NJC could do if the governor rejected its recommendation was to initiate a fresh dialogue with the governor and not trying to make him an executive rubber stamp as the NJC actions implied.
The House Committee Chairman reminded critics that  the controversial issue in the judiciary was the Rivers State Law, and not the Federal Law, and that it was only the State Assembly that had the constitutional powers to make or amend the laws for the state.
He therefore, called on the public to see the law as necessary to salvage the judiciary from the political logjam.
It would be recalled that, an Thursday June 13, 2014, the state Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi signed into law the State High Court Law 2014 which amended section 40 of the High Court Law 2001.

Enoch Epelle