AN OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY, SENATOR HOPE UZODIMMA: URGENT DEMAND TO SWEAR IN THE MOST SENIOR JUDGE OF THE IMO STATE HIGH COURT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE NJC’S DIRECTIVE OF 29 AND 30 APRIL 2025, TO AVERT FURTHER JUDICIAL ANARCHY IN IMO STATE

His Excellency,

As a staunch advocate for a formidable judiciary and the rule of law, I am compelled to address you with a heavy heart but unyielding resolve on the grave matter of your persistent failure to comply with the directive of the National Judicial Council (NJC) issued at its 108th Meeting on 29 and 30 April 2025.

The NJC, in its wisdom and authority, mandated Your Excellency to immediately reverse the appointment of Hon. Justice T.N. Nzeukwu as Acting Chief Judge of Imo State and swear in the most senior judge of the Imo State High Court as the Acting Chief Judge.

Today, Friday 9 May 2025, [nine days after this unequivocal directive and your public assurance of compliance], your inaction speaks louder than words, plunging the Imo State judiciary into a state of unprecedented chaos and disarray.

For starters, let me commend the prompt response from your administration through your spokesman, Hon. Declan Emelumba, on 1 May 2025, wherein you assured the people of Imo State and the nation of your commitment to obey the NJC’s directive. This initial reaction kindled hope that your government would uphold the sanctity of the judiciary and respect the authority of the NJC.

However, your continued delay in implementing this directive has shattered that hope and cast a dark cloud over the sincerity of your administration’s intentions. The people of Imo State are beginning to perceive your spokesman’s statement as a mere ploy to distract the public while you remain resolute in pursuing an agenda that undermines the Imo State judiciary and the rule of law.

Such perceptions, if allowed to persist, will irreparably damage public trust in your leadership and tarnish Imo State’s reputation as a beacon of justice.

Your Excellency, the NJC’s directive was not a mere suggestion but a binding order from the highest judicial oversight body in Nigeria, tasked with safeguarding the independence and integrity of the judiciary.

Your refusal to act promptly has unleashed a cascade of inconveniences and irregularities that threaten the very foundation of justice in Imo State.

In the last six days alone, your inaction has precipitated a series of disturbing developments that underscore the urgency of this matter:

1. Unlawful Removal of the Substantive Chief Registrar of Imo State High Court by the Imo State Judicial Service Commission:

It is deeply troubling that the Substantive Chief Registrar, Mrs. Naomi Achunulo, was removed without any query or fair hearing, purportedly following a meeting of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) on 1 May 2025.

This action is not only procedurally defective but also calls into question the propriety of such a meeting, given that the JSC is improperly constituted, 1 May 2025 was a public holiday, and no Acting Chief Judge was in place following the NJC’s directive of 29 and 30 April 2025. The absence of a Chief Judge to oversee the JSC’s operations renders such a meeting and its outcomes legally suspect, further deepening the administrative crisis in the judiciary.

2. Selective and Prejudicial Postings of Magistrates:

The selective and prejudicial posting of some Magistrates hastily executed by the new Chief Registrar, which ought to be carried out only under the directive of a duly appointed Chief Judge, has been undertaken in the absence of such authority.

This has sown seeds of discord, mistrust, and accusations of favouritism within the judiciary, eroding the morale of judicial officers and undermining public confidence in the system.

3. Breach of Judicial Sanctity through Unauthorized Access to JSC Records:

Most alarmingly, it has come to light that an individual related to a member of the Imo State Judicial Service Commission, either by marriage or concubinage, has gained access to sacred records of the JSC. This individual, operating under the guise of an unregistered civil society association – as a search in CAC this morning reveals – by name Civil Society Engagement Platform [CSEP], has used these confidential records to embarrass 18 of our esteemed judges for selfish aims that will quench their ravenous, ravaging judicial thirsts.

This egregious breach of confidentiality and abuse of privileged information is a direct consequence of the leadership vacuum in the Imo judiciary, which a duly appointed Chief Judge would have prevented by ensuring strict oversight and regulation of the JSC’s operations. Such a scandal not only tarnishes the judiciary’s reputation but also exposes the grave risks of leaving the judiciary without a head.

Your Excellency, these developments are not mere inconveniences but a full-blown crisis precipitated by your failure to act swiftly in compliance with the NJC’s directive.

The judiciary is the last hope of the common man, and any action or inaction that undermines its functionality strikes at the heart of democracy and the rule of law. Your delay in swearing in the most senior judge of the Imo State High Court as Acting Chief Judge is a grave disservice to the people of Imo State and a dangerous precedent that could embolden further disregard for judicial authority.

While I hope that your administration would render any legal action unnecessary by promptly complying with the NJC’s directive, your continued inaction shall compel me to pursue all available legal remedies to ensure this compliance.

Be assured that I will not hesitate to seek further redress in court to compel compliance should your Excellency fail to obey the NJC’s directive immediately.

Your Excellency, the judiciary is not a political arena but a sacred institution that must be insulated from undue interference. The eyes of Imo State, Nigeria, and the international community are upon you.

I respectfully and humbly urge you to swear in the most senior judge of the Imo State High Court as Acting Chief Judge without further delay. This is not only a matter of legal obligation but also a moral imperative to restore public confidence in your administration and the judiciary.

The people of Imo State deserve a judiciary that is functional, independent, and free from the taint of scandal and chaos. Let it not be said that under your watch, the judiciary in Imo State was allowed to descend into anarchy due to avoidable delays and disregard for lawful directives.

Act now, Your Excellency, with the urgency and decisiveness that this crisis demands. History will judge your actions or inactions in this critical moment.

Yours in the service of a formidable judiciary.

Chinedu Agu, Esq.
Past Secretary,
NBA Owerri Branch
9 May 2025