Rivers Judiciary Crisis Is Unfortunate – Lawyer

A Port Harcourt-based
lawyer and human rights advocate, Barr Endurance Akpelu, has described the Rivers State judiciary crisis as unfortunate.
Barr. Akpelu, who stated this while speaking with The Tide after the Rivers State branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) had a chat with the state government in Port Harcourt  at the weekend, noted that there was no hope for the courts to resume before the expiration of  the tenure of the present administration to the state.
According to him, the Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi has said that the National Judicial Council (NJC) should reverse its decision on the appointment of the state Chief Judge  considering the length of time that the matter has taken  what every lawyer wants to hear is let the court be open.
The Port Harcourt lawyer pointed out that many lawyers were suffering and finding it difficult  to make ends meet.
He said that the ongoing crisis in the judiciary was unnecessary and explained that the appointment of a Chief Judge should not warrant the closure  of the courts for more than five months without hope of re-opening.
Barr. Akpelu noted that the Chief Justice of Nigeria Aloma Muktar who is the head of NJC would soon retire and expressed surprise that the matter was allowed to linger till date.
He said both the NJC and the Rivers State Government should resolve the crisis for the interest of practicing lawyers.
He pointed out that  the young lawyers were the most affected in the festering crisis in the state judiciary. Barr. Akpelu also stated that Justice   has been denied those in prison custodies.

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