There is a strong indication that the ongoing judicial vacation in Imo State will be extended beyond August this year if plans by the members of the Nigeria Bar Association in the state to boycott court sessions are anything to go by.
It was gathered the planned boycott would be in protest against the unfair appointment of magistrates by the state Chief Judge, Justice Benjamin Njemanze.
247ureports investigations reveal that the lawyers were not happy that the CJ undermined due process in the appointment of magistrates resulting in his cronies and those of state government officials being given appointment letters as magistrates.
It will be recalled that the NBA in the state had constituted a Sub-committee led by Chief Mike Ahamba(SAN) to look into the outburst of stakeholders over the recruitment and the committee lampooned the process for falling short of fairness and due process.
It was also gathered that the lawyers had concluded arrangement to write the Chief Judge expressing their total rejection of the exercise as well as giving him ultimatum to rescind the appointments and begin the exercise afresh or face a showdown with them.
However, the new magistrates have since begun undergoing tutelage from senior members of the bench. When contacted via an sms for reaction, the chairman of the NBA Owerri Branch, Barr S. I. Opara, only queried: From what source did they get the report?
