Things to know about Acting President Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice M.B. Dongban Mensem

Hon. Justice M.B. Dongban Mensem has been appointed the Acting President of the Court of Appeal.

President Muhammadu Buhari approved the appointment on Thursday.

Presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, in statement on Thursday, said the appointment was for an initial period of three months, with effect from March 6, 2020, when the incumbent President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, would statutorily retire from service.

Here are things to know about Dongban-Mensem

• Dongban-Mensem is an authority in the following field- criminal and civil procedure law, taxation and international public finance, public international law, legislative drafting, constitutional and administrative law and international commercial transactions.

• As at December 2019, she had over 150 Lead and 100 Contributory Judgements respectively.

• Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem hails from Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State

• She is the daughter of a retired Appeal Court Justice, M.B. Douglas-Mensem.

• She got both her LL.B and LL.M degrees from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria,

She was a Visiting Lecturer on Press Law at the Catholic Media Centre, Kaduna from 1988-1992 and Part-time Lecturer at the University of Jos between 1989 and 1997.

From 1990-1993, Justice Dongban-Mensem served as Deputy Chief Registrar, Superior Courts and Protocol Affairs and was appointed Judge, High Court of Justice, Plateau Judiciary from 1993-1996.

On transfer from the former, Dongban-Mensem became the Judge, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Judiciary from 1997-2003.

Due to her deep distress for losing her first son, Prince Samson Kwapda’as Dongban, she founded a road safety organisation called Kwapda’as Road Safety Demand (KRSD).

• Her leisure is writing, reading, golfing working with children, women and the elderly.

• The judge is a mother of four children and two grandchildren.