The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has criticised the Rivers State House of Assembly for directing the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi, over alleged age falsification.
Speaking on behalf of the eight NBA branches in Rivers State, Tamunosiki Roberts, Chairman of the Okrika Branch, described the move as an attempt to drag the judiciary into the ongoing political conflict between the executive and legislative arms of government.
“We are not unaware of the existing political impasse between the legislature and the executive arms of government in Rivers State. However, we must caution that the judiciary should not be drawn into the ongoing imbroglio for no just cause,” Roberts said at a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
He warned that political interference in judicial matters could destabilise the state, recalling the 2014–2015 judicial crisis that led to the closure of courts for nearly a year.
“We cannot afford to experience a similar occurrence in the present times we find ourselves in the state, and especially for the interests of the good people of Rivers State to have their on-going matters in court without interruptions,” he stressed.
Port Harcourt NBA Chairman, Cordelia Eke, also condemned the Assembly’s resolution, stating that only the National Judicial Council (NJC) has the legal authority to discipline judges.
“Every action in the public service has a prescribed procedure. In the case of the judiciary, only the NJC has the authority to investigate or sanction any judge,” she said.
The NBA urged all political actors to de-escalate tensions and prioritise the peace and stability of Rivers State and the country.
