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CJN Throws Open S’Court Justice Job To Lawyers

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad has included lawyers among those to be considered in the next round of appointments as Justices of the Supreme Court.
Muhammad, who doubles as chairman, Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC), announced this in a January 19, 2022 letter to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
According to the letter, six suitably qualified lawyers only would be selected from a pool of applicants from five of the country’s geopolitical zones.
They would fill six present or future vacancies on the apex court bench.
There are currently 16 justices on the Supreme Court bench, out of a maximum of 21, with some of them expected to retire soon.
Apart from the South-East that will get two slots, and the North-East which is excluded, the other zones would get one slot each.
The contents of the CJN’s letter were stated in a February 7, 2022, statement to lawyers signed by the Chairman, NBA Judiciary Committee, Dr. Babatunde Ajibade, SAN.
In the NBA’s statementby its Publicity Secretary, Dr. Rapulu Nduka, last Saturday, the CJN called for the nomination of suitably qualified persons for appointment to the Supreme Court of Nigeria to fill the “present or imminent vacancies.”
The CJN’s proposal responds to years of pressure by stakeholders, particularly the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN), for its members and distinguished academics to be appointed to the topmost echelon of the nation’s Judiciary.
The proposal was not implemented by successive CJNs since the tenure of Justice Mohammadu Uwais who served between 1995 and 2006.
Since independence, the last two apex court justices to have been appointed from the bar were ex-CJN Justice Teslim Elias in 1972 and Justice Augustine Nnamani in 1979.
The NBA statement reads:”Dear colleagues, RE: APPOINTMENT OF SIX (6) JUSTICES FOR THE SUPREME COURT BENCH: CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST.
“The Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman, Federal Judicial Service Commission has by a letter dated 19th January, 2022, called for the nomination of suitably qualified persons for appointment to the Supreme Court of Nigeria to fill six present or imminent vacancies.
“Members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) from the geopolitical zones listed above who are suitably qualified and are interested in applying for an appointment to the Supreme Court Bench are enjoined to submit an expression of interest to the National Secretariat of the NBA on or before 21st February, 2022,” it said.
The statement directed lawyers to address their interest letter to the NBA president and that it should include the following:”A copy of the applicant’s Curriculum Vitae; A copy of the applicant’s Call to Bar Certificate; Evidence of payment of Bar Practicing Fees (BPF) for the past 10 years; Evidence of payment of NBA Branch Dues for the past 10 years; Evidence of attendance at conferences of the NBA; Evidence of membership of Sections or Fora of the NBA; Judgments delivered in contested cases the applicant conducted in the five years preceding 2022 certified by competent authorities for Legal Practitioners in Private Practice.
“It should also include A letter of good standing from the Chairman of the applicant’s Branch confirming that he or she possesses the qualities set out in Rule 4(4)(1)(a), (b) and (d) of the NJC’s Guidelines for the Appointment of Judicial Officers for Superior Courts of Record,” it said.
According to the guidelines, the qualities are ‘a) Good character and reputation, diligence and hard work, honesty, integrity and sound knowledge of the law and consistent adherence to professional ethics; as maybe applicable: ‘b) Active successful practice at the Bar, including satisfactory presentation of casesin Court as a Legal Practitioner either in private practice or as a Legal Officer in any Public Service;”d) Credible record of teaching law, legal research in a reputable University and publication of legal works …”
The statement added that upon receipt of the expressions of interest, the National Secretariat shall publish the names of the interested candidates and request comments thereon from members of the NBA.
As part of proposed reforms in the administration of the justice system, the NBA, in 2017, forwarded the names of six Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) and three other lawyers to then-Acting CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen for consideration for appointment as Supreme Court Justices.
Then NBA President, A.B. Mahmoud, had in a letter sent to the e-mails of all registered lawyers invited applications from suitably qualified legal practitioners to be appointed to the Supreme Court as provided in Section 231(3) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
The section provides that: “A person shall not be qualified to hold the office of Chief Justice of Nigeria or a Justice of the Supreme Court unless he is qualified to practice as a legal practitioner in Nigeria and has been so qualified for a period not less than 15 years.”
Consequently, nine silks were shortlisted by the umbrella body of lawyers from 89 Expressions of Interest that were received.
The nominees were – Olisa Agbakoba (SAN); Anthony Idigbe (SAN); former Abia Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Prof Awa Kalu (SAN); Yunus Usman (SAN) and Babatunde Fagbohunlu (SAN).
Others are Miannayaaja Essien (SAN) (1985, Rivers); Prof. Awa Kalu (SAN) (1978, Abia); Prof Awalu Yadudu (1979, Kano), Tajudeen Oladoja (1985, Kwara) and Ayuba Giwa (1983, Edo).
But the proposal did not sail through before Onnoghen’s exit.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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