• Chief registrar warns against involving judiciary in politics
• Stakeholders urge Wike’s arrest, gov’s camp cautions Obuah
WORRIED that an injured member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Michael Okechukwu Chinda, may not get justice in court, his family has petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC).
The family specifically alleged interference of the state Chief Judge, Justice Iche Ndu, in the matter involving the House Leader, Chidi Lyold, who was accused of attempting to kill Chinda.
But the Chief Registrar of the state judiciary, Mr. Leonard Adoki, has cautioned politicians against involving the third arm of government in their political crises.
A statement in Port Harcourt by the elder brother of the lawmaker who is currently undergoing treatment in London, Mr. Evans Chinda, noted that the family resorted to the petition against the chief judge to ensure that justice was done in the case.
The statement further alleged that the state government was giving the impression that his brother was at fault and deserved the violence that Lloyd meted out to him.
In the petition to the NJC, Chinda raised the alarm over what he termed as glaring irregularities in the case since Lloyd was brought to court, stressing that the development justified their fear on the matter.
According to him, “both the Chief Judge and the presiding judge, Justice Letam Nyordee, are trying to defeat justice through the back door. Lloyd was brought to court on a six-count charge of conspiracy, attempted murder and aggravated assault, among others.”
Chinda regretted that the arraignment of Lloyd ran into a hitch for which the court adjourned the matter to August 6, 2013 for ruling on the interlocutory argument of whether or not the police could engage a private counsel to prosecute the accused person.
He went on: “But the presiding judge and the state government unknown to the defence counsel re-fixed the case to be heard on the 31st of July, 2013 instead of the 6th of August.
“The court heard and ordered an ex-parte injunction that Hon. Lloyd be produced in court by the police, knowing full well that the short notice was inappropriate. As predicted, Lloyd was not brought to court and we went home dejected.”
He said the Chinda family were deeply tormented by the development and the role of the state government to discharge Lloyd at all costs.
“It is on this ground that the family is pleading with the NJC to call the Rivers State Chief Judge and the presiding judge to order because justice is not one-way traffic. All sides to the case deserve justice and that is what our family is asking for and no more,” he added.
Adoki expressed dismay that people could make reckless allegations against the judiciary.
“How can the chief judge of the state interfere in a case he assigned? We (the judiciary) should not be drawn into the crisis between the political class.
The judiciary is very independent of the executive and legislature. And it is an institution that is committed to the rule of law and administration of justice. So it is very wrong for anyone to want to draw us into the crisis in Rivers State,” he said.
According to Adoki, the chief judge of the state does not preside over an appellate court. Each court like the one presided over by the judge handling the Lloyd’s case is independent and therefore cannot be influenced by anyone, he stressed.
“Justice Nyordee is a very respected and mature judge who cannot be influenced by anyone. Is it wrong for the chief justice to have assigned the case or is it that they don’t want him to do his work? Each judge who presides over a court is independent and they cannot be influenced,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State government has cautioned the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Felix Obuah, to respect the office of the governor.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Rivers State Governor, David Iyofor, stated this in reaction to comments by Obuah that he had summoned Governor Chibuike Amaechi to a meeting with the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, next weekend.
Besides, a group, Rivers Peoples Forum (RPF), has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Wike over his alleged comments in Port Harcourt at the weekend.
Wike was on Saturday at an event in Port Harcourt quoted to have said: “We will make sure they will not sleep again, as they are sleeping now. They will not sleep with their two eyes closed. One eye will be open because they know there is danger.”
In a statement by its president, Charles Bekwele, RPF described the minister’s statement as a direct threat to the people of the state that could lead to a breach of peace and security agencies must now take steps to curtail the excesses of Wike.
