C’River Assembly Speaker: Why We Succumbed, Confirmed Ikpeme As CJ
2 min read
Chiemeka ADINDU, Calabar
The Cross River State House of Assembly has said it refused to confirm, Justice Akon Ikpeme as chief judge of the state based on security reasons. Speaker of the house, Eteng Williams said this shortly after Ikpeme was confirmed today as the substantive chief judge of the state.
He said the house rejected her name for two times based on reports made available to them. He added that her confirmation is as a result of a fresh report to affirm her nomination as the chief judge after much considerations.
“The assembly just did its job, we got new facts, we got new documents that we needed, we also got a new report that was sent to us. We’ve done our own findings, we’ve done our own work. For the legislature, it does not really matter but for us, it was to do the needful and that’s what we’ve just done.
“Her confirmation is to stabilize the judiciary because Cross Riverians are suffering because of that. We expect a lot from her. As the chief judge, she knows her responsibility. She knows what she owes to Cross Riverians, especially for Cross Riverians standing by her in her trying time; which I can confidently confirm that most Cross Riverians stood by her. So we expect a lot. She should give us justice, she should do the right thing.
“We never said she was a security threat, it was the imagination of some people. Cross River State House of Assembly never granted interview to anybody, I read it the same way you did”, the speaker noted.
While congratulating her, leader of the house, Hon. Peter Odey who is representing Ogoja state constituency tasked the chief judge to be allow equity and justice reign supreme throughout her tenure.
He said: “we thank God that the issue is finally resolved. It was a decision of the house of assembly as at that time not to confirm her and it is the decision of the house of assembly today, to confirm her. We have done the needful and we’re happy that the chapter is now behind us and we wish Cross River state judiciary well and we enjoin her to go ahead and discharge her duty according to the law”.
