Majority Leader of the Benue State House of Assembly, Comrade Saater Tiseer has insisted that the Benue State House of Assembly acted within the confines of the law and for the interest of the State at large which is their primary responsibility.
Tiseer also described as hasty, the statement by the Nigerian Bar Association,(NBA) condemning Assembly recommendation for the removal of Chief Judge of Benue State,Maurice Ikpambese.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday in Makurdi, following the NBA’s position, majority leader of the Benue State House of Assembly, Comrade Saater Tiseer accused NBA for rushing to judgment without understanding the facts of the matter.
He said the NBA’s President, Afam Osigwe SAN, and General Secretary, Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara, relied on incomplete information from social media reports, rather than consulting with the Assembly or reviewing its resolution, arguing that the association claims, were based on a poorly researched and erroneous position.
He emphasized that the Assembly based its recommendation for the removal of the Chief Judge in accordance with Section 292(1)(a)(ii) of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers the Governor to remove the Chief Judge, should he carry out certain actions, insisting that the Assembly’s action was based on what the governor sent to the house.
The majority leader equally explained during the press conference that the Assembly did not recommend the removal of Justice Ikpambese as a judicial officer, but rather as the Chief Judge of Benue State which is a political office, arguing that the position of chief Judge was a political office which is the basis the Assembly recommended his removal but he will still remain as a high court judge in the state.
He also disclosed that the Assembly has referred the petition against Justice Ikpambese to the National Judicial Council (NJC) for investigation and appropriate action, arguing this to be in line with Section 292(1)(b) of the 1999 Constitution.
Tiseer also described the position of the Benue Caucus in the national Assembly led by Senator Abba Moro condemning the removal of Justice Ikpambese as shameful, arguing that the National Assembly caucus was in Abuja when the immediate past administration was not paying pensions, salaries and gratuities but kept quiet even when people were suffering and even addressed as dead animals and insisted that the Assembly will continue to work together with the executive on issues of developing the state without engaging into unnecessary fight.
He also denied allegations that the 10th Assembly is a rubber stamp, insisting that members at different times have disagreed with the governor on issues bothering interest of Benue people, pointing out that the lawmakers had investigated the special adviser to the governor on Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and found him culpable, invited for questioning and possible sanction the special adviser on home land security for lying before the public that there is peace in the state when cases of renewed killings have resurfaced in the state, urging members of the public to disregard their claims.
Meanwhile the NJC information available indicates have since weighed in on the matter, stating that the Chief Judge remains in office until the petition against him is investigated.
The Council emphasized that there are clear provisions in the Constitution for the removal of judicial officers, and that these provisions must be followed
In a separate statement, the NBA has urged the NJC to sanction any judge who accepts to be made the acting Chief Judge of Benue State, citing the Constitution’s provisions on the removal of judicial officers.
