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Justice Ikpeme: Tough road to the high Bench
On
By Ebunoluwa Sessou
Justice Akon Ikpeme is the current Chief Judge in Cross Rivers State, Calabar. She assumed the position as a substantial Chief Judge on January 28, 2021. WO X-rays the incidences preceding her present position in this excerpt.
January 9, 2020
Cross-Rivers State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade wrote a letter to the State House of Assembly for Justice Ikpeme to be confirmed Chief Judge of the State.
March 3, 2020
Justice Ikpeme started functioning as the acting Chief Judge of the state, following the retirement of the former Chief Judge, Justice Michael Edem, and was expected to be confirmed by the lawmakers.
After 13 months of being stubborn Cross River state executive and House of Assembly, yesterday, bowed to pressure by confirming Justice Akon Ikpeme as Chief Judge (CJ).
Since retirement of Justice Michael Edem in November 2019, Cross River has remained without a substantive chief judge, following disagreement between the state government and the National Judicial Council (NJC).
The NJC wanted due process followed and the most senior judge appointed as CJ, but the state government wanted its favourite candidate, a junior judge, to emerge.
Governor Ben Ayade had in November 2019, after much pressure, sworn-in Justice Ikpeme, being the most senior judge, as acting chief judge. But three months after the expiration of her acting tenure, the House of Assembly, through alleged manipulation by the executive arm, declined to confirm Justice Ikpeme on grounds that she is from Akwa Ibom State and will constitute a security risk despite the fact that she is married to a Cross River husband
TODAY
January 28, 2021
The Speaker, Cross River House of Assembly, Eteng Jonah-Williams, has explained why the lawmakers backtracked and confirmed Akon Ikpeme as substantive Chief Judge of the state, after rejecting her twice in 2020.
Newsmen reported how Mrs Ikpeme, was confirmed on Thursday in unanimous votes by the lawmakers who hitherto were critical of her family ties with neighbouring Akwa Ibom State.
Mrs Ikpeme is of Akwa Ibom parentage. She was born in Calabar, Cross River State, when Akwa Ibom was a part of Cross River. She is married to a man from Cross River, and has been working for decades as a judicial officer, including being a director of public prosecution, and a judge in Cross River.
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Cross River: Why we made U-turn on Ikpeme – Speaker
Akon Ikpeme, before her confirmation, was rejected twice by the Cross River House of Assembly. 3 min read
The Speaker, Cross River House of Assembly, Eteng Jonah-Williams, has explained why the lawmakers backtracked and confirmed Akon Ikpeme as substantive Chief Judge of the state, after rejecting her twice in 2020.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mrs Ikpeme, was confirmed on Thursday in unanimous votes by the lawmakers who hitherto were critical of her family ties with neighbouring Akwa Ibom State.
Mrs Ikpeme is of Akwa Ibom parentage. She was born in Calabar, Cross River State, when Akwa Ibom was a part of Cross River. She is married to a man from Cross River, and has been working for decades as a judicial officer, including being a director of public prosecution, and a judge in Cross River.