We can’t be blackmailed, Rivers Judiciary tells PDP

The Rivers State Judiciary has debunked the allegation by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accusing the state Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, of attempting to use the office of the acting Chief Judge, Justice Peter Agumagu, to thwart the course of justice in the state. Also, the state judiciary refuted an allegation by the PDP that the judge handling the case involving the suspended chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Timothy Nsirim and three others against the state governor and 10 others, had withdrawn from the matter. Chief Registrar of the High Court, Leonard Adoki, released in Port Harcourt on Friday said the judiciary should not be dragged into the political crisis in the state. The party recently issued a statement alleging that the acting Chief Judge, Justice Peter Agumagu, was plotting to engage in selective re-assignment of cases to some selected judges to undo political opponents of the governor. Adoki stated that ordinarily, the judiciary would not have bothered to reply the party, but for the fact that PDP wanted to bring the National Judicial Commission (NJC) into “a non-existent issue”. He urged politicians, especially members of the PDP in the state, to desist from tarnishing the image of judges. “The Rivers State Judiciary ordinarily would not have reacted to such wild allegations from the PDP in the PDP in Rivers State. We do not want to be dragged into the political gimmicks, but, we have to react to safeguard the independence of the judiciary. “For the avoidance of doubt, we want to place it on record that assignment of cases is a routine duty performed by the state Chief Judge. The acting chief judge is not a stranger to such duties having once been a Chief Registrar and President, Customary Court of Appeal, and in both capacities, has been performing that noble task of assigning cases to magistrates and judges of the state judiciary”, he stated. He stressed that the acting chief judge does not take directive from anybody, including the state governor. “As a seasoned, respected and very experienced judicial officer, the acting chief judge knows he is not answerable to any group or individual in the discharge of his duties”, he added. In a related development, the state judiciary has denied the withdrawal of Justice Sylverline Iragunima, handling the suit between the suspended chairman, Timothy Nsirim, and three others against the state governor and 10 others. Chief Registrar, Adoki, made the rebuttal yesterday, while briefing judiciary correspondents in Port Harcourt