Swearing-in: NJC to meet over Justice Jombo-Ofo

by Tunde Oyesina

Indications have shown that the National Judicial Commission (NJC) may be holding an emergency meeting to look into the case of Justice Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo, who was dropped by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mariam Aloma Muktarh, from being sworn- in as a judge of the Court of Appeal.
The chairman, Senate Committee on judiciary, Senator Umaru Dahiru, gave the indication while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja.
Senator Dahiru stated that the House was yet to communicate the CJN on the issue, adding that when  communicated, she would have to call the meeting of the NJC to look into the matter.
According to him, “to the best of my knowledge, the NJC have not met, but from grapevine,I heard  they are going to have another emergency meeting over the issue.
“The CJN cannot act on her own, because NJC is a body which consists of many people and so, they have to work as a body.”
Justice Jumbo-Ofo was last week Monday, dropped from being sworn-in alongside 11 others, whom President Goodluck Jonathan had approved their elevation to the Court of Appeal bench.
At first, it was alleged that Jombo-Ofo was dropped, based on a petition against her on the grounds that the state she represented was not her state of origin.
It was further alleged that Jombo-Ofo hails from Anambra State, but after her wedding, she transferred her service from her home state to that of her husband, Abia, where she had worked  for 14 years.
Nigerian Tribune also gathered that Jumbo-Ofo, in an application for elevation to the intermediate court filled by her four years ago, when Abia State had no vacant slot, filled Anambra State, which had a vacant slot, but lost the  slot to another candidate.
NigerianTribune