Imo Assembly recommends Chief Judge sack over ‘age falsification’

The Imo House of Assembly has recommended the immediate sack of the state Chief Judge (CJ), Justice Theresa Chikeka, over alleged age falsification.

The House made the recommendation at the committee of the whole on Wednesday, after considering the report of the four-member ad hoc committee, set up to investigate the allegation against the CJ by a civil society engagement platform.

According to the committee’s report, the petitioners were invited in the course of the investigations, along with the Head of Service (HOS), the Secretary, Imo Judicial Service Commission and the CJ.

The report further stated that while the others honoured the invitation, the CJ failed to appear.

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The committee also reported that the response of the Nigerian Law School and Imo HOS showed that the CJ allegedly altered her date of birth from Oct. 27, 1956 to Oct. 27, 1958.

The House, therefore, resolved to adopt the committee’s recommendation, authorising Gov. Hope Uzodimma to remove the CJ “on the ground of gross misconduct in keeping with section 292 (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended”.

The Speaker, Mr Chike Olemgbe, directed that the recommendation be forwarded to the National Judicial Council for necessary action. (NAN)