Nsikak Ibatt
Justice Akon Ikpeme have been confirmed by the Cross River State House of Assembly as the new chief judge. This is happening after it’s been 322 days the house had refused to confirm her as the substantive Chief Judge of the High Court of Cross River State.
This was confirm by Hope Obeten, the Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Assembly, Eteng Jones who disclosed this on Facebook
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Before now, the State has gone 427 days without a substantive Chief Judge. The National Judicial Council is said to have insisted on her after Justice Effiom Eyo-Ita’s acting tenure elapsed in the midnight of January 18, 2021.
However, Justice Eyo-Ita was the third person to be sworn-in, in acting capacity after Governor Ben Ayade’s preferred nominee, Justice Maurice Eneji who served two acting tenures and Justice Ikpeme.
When asked when the new CJ stopped being a security threat as was initially alleged, Speaker of the House, Hon. Eteng Jones, told newsmen that:
“The House of Assembly never said she was a security threat. We never did.”
Stakeholders had spanked the Assembly severally for refusing to confirm her for “security reasons”.
