Timeline of Rivers judiciary crisis

 

January 31, 2013

The then Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Iche Ndu (now retired), sent a memorandum forwarding the names of Justice Peter Agumagu, the President of the Rivers State Customary Court of Appeal, and Justice Daisy Okocha, as the two most senior judges in the state, to the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission for consideration and advising the National Judicial Council on appointment to the office of the Chief Judge of the state.

February 5, 2013

Rivers State Judicial Service Commission sent the names of Justices Peter Agumagu and Daisy Okocha, (as the two most senior judges in the state), to the NJC for consideration and onward recommendation of one of them to the Governor of Rivers State for appointment as the Chief Judge of the state upon the retirement of the outgoing Chief Judge, Justice Iche Ndu.

July 22, 2013

The NJC recommended Justice Okocha for appointment as the next Chief Judge of Rivers State.

August 20, 2013

-Justice Iche Ndu retired from the bench and as the Chief Justice of Rivers State

-Governor Rotimi Amaechi defied NJC’s recommendation and appointed Justice Agumagu as the acting Chief Judge of Rivers State.

September 11, 2013

Three plaintiffs – Boma Goodhead, Ajeyante Samuel and Kengema Unity Forum – filed a suit, marked FHC/PH/CS/358/2013, before Justice Lambo Akanbi of a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt against the Attorney-General of Rivers State and the Attorney-General of the Federation, asking the court to declare among others, the appointment of Justice Agumagu as the acting Chief Judge of Rivers State, as unconstitutional, null and void.

September 23, 2013

Governor Amaechi wrote back to the NJC, rejecting the recommendation of Okocha and appealing to the council to recommend Agumagu for appointment as the Chief Judge.

October 29, 2013

Rivers State Government along with the Sate Judicial Service Commission sued the NJC and Justice Okocha, in the suit FHC/PH/CS/421/2013, asking the court to, among others, nullify all steps taken by NJC in recommending Justice Okocha for appointment as the Chief Judge of the state.

November 20, 2013

The appointment of Justice Agumagu as acting Chief Judge of Rivers State expired in line with the provisions of section 271(5) of the Constitution.

December 4, 2013

The NJC rejected the governor’s appeal to review its earlier recommendation. The council stuck to its recommendation of Justice Okocha.

February 19, 2014

Justice Lambo Akanbi of a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt in the suit, marked FHC/PH/CS/358/2013 declared that Justice Agumagu , not being a High Court judge, was not constitutionally qualified to be appointed as the acting Chief Judge of the High Court of the state.

March 18, 2014

-Justice Lambo Akanbi of a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, in his judgment in the suit FHC/PH/S/421/2013, nullified the recommendation of Justice Daisy Okocha as the Chief Judge of Rvers State.

-The Rivers State House of Assembly screened and cleared Justice Agumagu for appointment as the substantive Chief Judge of the state

-Governor Rotimi Amaechi swore in Justice Agumagu as the substantive Chief Judge of Rivers State

March 19, 2014

Justice Okocha filed five grounds notice of appeal against the judgment of Justice Akanbi delivered in the suit FHC/PH/S/421/2013 on March 18.

March 26, 2014

The NJC at its emergency meeting suspended Justice Agumagu and asked him to within four days answer a query for submitting himself to be sworn in as the Chief Judge of Rivers State when he had not been so recommended by the NJC.

March 31, 2014

Justice Agumagu sued the NJC and purported members of the NJC committee at a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order quashing the query issued to him by the NJC and another order setting aside of his suspension by the council.

March 19, 2014

NJC filed six grounds notice of appeal against the judgment of Justice Akanbi delivered in the suit FHC/PH/S/421/2013 on March 18.

May 27, 2014

Following the suspension of Justice Agumagu, the NJC at its 67th meeting directed the most senior judges in the High Court and the Customary Court of Appeal to carry out the duty of assigning cases in their respective courts. This was disclosed to the public on June 3.