The National Judicial Council (NJC), has directed the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mariam Aloma-Mukhtar to swear-in Justice Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo as a Judge of the Court of Appeal.
The council gave this directive at the end of an emergency meeting, yesterday, in response to the public outcry against the CJN's refusal to swear-in Jombo-Ofo along with others on November 5, 2012.
A press statement signed by NJC's deputy director of information, Mr Soji Oye said "after full and dispassionate deliberations on the matter, council unanimously decided that Justice Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo be sworn-in as a justice of the court of appeal". The CJN had on Monday, November 5, 2012, declined to swear-in Justice Jombo-Ofo alongside her 11 colleagues on grounds that there was a mix-up in her state of origin.
President Goodluck Jonathan had approved the appointment of Jombo-Ofo and 11 other JCAs, following the recommendation of the Justice Aloma Mukhtar-led NJC and in the exercise of his powers under Section 238 (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The CJN had also presided over the Federal Judicial Service Commission's meeting which also Okayed the 12 JCAs before their names were sent to the NJC which approved the names at its last meeting in Abuja on October 18, 2012.
In the press statement, Soji also said that the matter of the appointment and swearing-in of the Justice Jombo-Ofo as a Justice of the Court of Appeal has generated so much controversy in Nigeria, especially in the print and electronic media.
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