The Kogi State House of Assembly has recommended the removal of the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Nasiru Ajanah for alleged gross misconduct.
This followed the adoption of the report and recommendations of the house committee on public account which indicted the Kogi State High Court and Kogi Hajj Commission for financial breaches.
DAILY POST reports that the report was read by the House Deputy Majority Leader, Ahmed Mohammed (APC Ankpa II Constituency).
The House also said that the Chief Judge could step aside to defend himself over the indictment of Auditor General of the state.
The House also recommended punitive measures on those indicted to avoid a reoccurrence.
The house, however, directed the State Government to urgently resume payment of salaries of judicial workers.
Before the report was adopted, Haruna Idoko (APC Idaho State Constituency ) drew the attention of the members on a particular court injunction stopping the house from discussing the matter but this was overruled by the Speaker, Prince Mathew Kolawole citing the constitution which gives the house power to invite and investigate issues of such in the state.
Recall that Judiciary workers in Kogi State on Monday protested against the plot by the State Government to remove the Chief Judge, Justice Nasiru Ajanah from office.
The state Chairman of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, Comrade Emmanuel Waniko cautioned the Speaker of the state Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mathew Kolawole against the plot to illegally and forcefully removed the Chief Judge.
The judiciary workers carried various placards with the inscription, “Why are you punishing us”, ” Pay us our salary”, “Bello you benefited from judiciary why are you fighting us”.
The chairman noted that the union was forced to make this call at this auspicious time following the reports reaching them on the clandestine moves by governor Yahaya Bello and his directive to the Speaker to disobey the subsisting order given on 13th December, 2018 by the High Court of Kogi State Koton-Karfe division, asking the state assembly to stay any action on the ongoing impasse between the executive and judiciary arms of Kogi State.
His words, ” We were last paid in June 2018 which makes it a total of nine months today that we are being owed our legitimate salaries. We are therefore upbeat that even after almost four months that our courts are shut down because of our ongoing strike, the state assembly would make itself available to further foster another crisis on the state through this proposed illegal removal of the Chief Judge.
The Union opined that the executive arm of Kogi State must be told that JUSUN is resolute in their effort to right the wrongs been perpetuated in the state by governor Yahaya Bello.
He called on the state assembly to steer clear of this crisis and rather use its constitutional authority to bring sanity to the state by calling the governor to order.
” Any attempt to bring the hallowed chambers of the state judiciary into disrepute through this glaring and obvious miss governance in the state by illegally pronouncing the removal of the Chief Judge would be stoutly resisted.
“We will also use this opportunity to encourage our members and urge our judiciary officers not to fall for the antics of the clear underperforming administration of governor Yahaya Bello.
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