Murmurs Over Appointments In Rivers State Judiciary

All does not seem to be well with happenings in the administration of justice in the Rivers State judiciary.
Feelers from there indicate a feeling of frustration, neglect by many as powerful members of the state hold sway in the appointment of judges and magistrates leaving some long serving officers frustrated.
On Monday, February 6, 2023, then governor Wike swore in five high court judges and two customary court judges with a mandate to dispense justice assiduously without favour.
The officers comprised of five females and two males.
The event held inside the Government House attracted a lot of dignitaries drawn from the political class, friends and families as well as some judicial officers.
However, while the elevated and their friends and families celebrated, there were serious but suppressed grumblings within the fold. To the ones under, it was like merit, seniority and experience no longer mattered.
One of those sworn-in as judge was wife of the current attorney general. She is said to be retired staff of the Rivers State Judiciary who rose from the ranks and retired as a magistrate in the last quarter of 2022.
Some questioned the continuous retention of her colleagues as legal assistants while she has risen through the ranks from magistrate to judge, even as a retiree.
National Point gathered that “dozens of her seniors have remained redundant in one position”, for instance, the immediate past chief registrar, the Judicial Service secretary and current chief registrar.
There are also past and current deputy chief registrars, several chief magistrates, who joined service same time with her as legal assistants.
Secondly, the daughter of the immediate past chief justice who a few years ago, was elevated alongside her privileged friends straight from legal assistants to chief magistrates are now judges.
Another grudge was according to our source, the inclusion of Gov Wike’s sibling. They described the elevations as smacking of nepotism and not in the interest of the judiciary.
While they were trying to accept the pains, the new governor, Semialayi Fubara swore-in another 16 officers into the judiciary as magistrates against expectations that he would correct the wrongs of the past administration.
The new appointments instead, further favoured family members of top politicians and personalities in the state leaving others in the cold.
Over 400 candidates applied for appointment and only 16 got admitted into the coveted seats
The feeling now is that the appointment exercise was the ex- governor Wike’s slot; that the one that will reflect his desire would be coming soon.
.A lot of persons from the high echelon of the judiciary were said to have applied, including those, whose parents were judges, magistrates and long standing legal assistants and private practitioners.
A check on the new entrants into the Rivers Magistrate cadre shows that:
1) Lilian Mgbechi Awuse was a legal assistant at the Customary Court of Appeal, Rumuobioakani.
2)Akah Okudiri until her appointment, was the legal assistant attached to the chief judge of the state, Hon Justice Simeon Amadi.
3) Victor Ihunwo Queeneth is wife to the former mayor of Port Harcourt, Victor Ihunwo. She came from the Ministry of Justice.
4)Ibanichuka Samuel is a private practitioner and son of a retired assistant chief registrar of the High Court.
5) Martyns-Yellow Martina was a legal assistant in the High Court, attached to the Probate Registry. She once headed the Probate and was later withdrawn for the present chief judge’s younger sibling to take over.
6) Briggs Kingsley is from the Ministry of Justice, and a younger sibling to the wife of the late Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, (Hon Tonye Harry) also serving as a magistrate in the same establishment.
7) Hart-Alex Andrea, was a legal assistant in the State Judiciary. Until his appointment, he served as protocol officer in the office of the Chief Judge.
8) Wike Leslie Nkechi Belema is a wife to Ex-Gov. Wike’s relative.
9) Akeodi Oyaghiri Adayinma Yvonne, a legal assistant in the High Court, is a daughter to late Akodi Oyaghiri’s, commissioner for Power under Odili.
Others include, Kelvin Chinasa Obiageri, Isreal Amadi Isiguzom, Akpu Charles Obisike, Ndukwu Thank God, Nwinee Harold Barisi, and Akani Nwobia Crystabel.