No nepotism in appointment of judges – PCA

The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, has dissociated herself from insinuations that there was ethnic and religious consideration in the current appointment of justices of the court.

In a statement on Sunday, Justice Dongban-Mensem urged Nigerians to ignore the comments, maintaining that the appointments passed through the due and usual processes of appointment into the judiciary.

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The Southern and Middle Belt Forum had on February 15 alleged that of the 20 candidates on the preferred list submitted to the Federal Judicial Service Committee and the National Judicial Council, those picked from the North excluded Christians and included three khadis.

But in her statement, the PCA said although 80 nominees were shortlisted, the 20 nominees were recommended to fill existing vacancies.

“I state on my honour that any of the 80 nominees could be appointed,” she said.

“I hereby state that the current recommendation pending determination by the National Judicial Council was done without any preference for tribe, creed or association.

“If there were sufficient vacancies to be filled, almost all the nominees would have been recommended,” she stated.