From Attah Ede, Makurdi
The Benue State House of Assembly on Tuesday, recommended immediate removal of the state Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese, over alleged gross misconduct.
The alleged misconduct is alleged to include financial misappropriation of and abuse of office.
The Assembly also approved that the next most senior judge be sworn in as acting Chief Judge pending the outcome of an investigation into the allegations.
The House which took the decision during its plenary on Tuesday, also accused the Chief Judge of abuse of office by issuing a directive to overturn the Benue State Electoral Law duly passed by the Benue State House of Assembly and assented to by the Governor of the state.
In a letter written by Governor Hyacinth Alia and the read on the floor of the House by the Majority Leader Saater Tiseer, the governor alleged misappropriation and mismanagement of the Budgetary Allocation and Finances of the Benue State Judiciary by the Chief Judge adding his engagements with politicians and political office holders for favourable judicial outcomes, indirect participation and incitement of industrial actions against the state executive, acts of bribery and corruption as well as undue favouritism and dire insistence on cronies holding unmerited judicial positions.
Part of the letter reads: “Mr. Speaker, since his emergence as the Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpambese spends way beyond the budgetary allocation of the judiciary. Similarly, he has not, by the string of any imagination rendered account of expenditures from the state judiciary.
“There is a huge discrepancy in the financial figures under his watch from our findings. We shall consider this ground on financial infractions from the Benue State High Court, the customary court of appeal and the Benue State Judicial Service Commission
“Available records secured from remittances from the Accountant- General to High Court of Justice from January to December, 2024 and Bank Statements from High Court of Justice covering Zenith Bank, First Bank, Fidelity Bank and Unity Bank indicate convincingly that Justice M.A. Ikpambese overspent the 2024 budget on International Travels,& Training and Renovation of office buildings to the tune of N666,984,687.20 which contravened sections 0206, 0632 and 0635 of the Financial Instructions (FI)”
The Governor then prayed the house to forthwith, make the necessary recommendations for the removal of Honourable Justice Maurice Ikpambese as the Chief Judge of Benue State in line with Section 292(1)(a)(II) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended).
He further sought for the forwarding of a complaint to the National Judicial Council so as to carry out an honest, independent, hitch-free, transparent and diligent investigation into these allegations, especially as they relate to the abuse of his office as Judicial Officer demonstrated by his confrontational disregard for the laws enacted by the state legislature and the financial infractions against him pending the recommendation of the National Judicial Council as provided in Section 292(1)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended).
The governor also enjoined the House to recommend for immediate swearing in of the next-in-line Judicial Officer within the state as the Acting Chief Judge of Benue State.
During the votes called by the Speaker Hon Hyacinth Dajo 23 members voted for the removal of the Chief Judge.
Consequently, he said, the Chief Judge stands removed and the next in line should be sworn in immediately as acting Chief Judge of the State.
