Yesterday, Monday November 5th, the issue of state of origin came to the fore as Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Maryam Aloma Mukhtar, declined to administer oath of office on one of the newly appointed justices of the Appeal Court.

The decision of the CJN was sequel to a petition challenging the state of origin declared by the judge, Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo, who was nominated under a slot reserved for Abia State.

NEW APPEAL COURT JUDGES: Cross Section Of The Newly Appointed Justices Of The Court of Appeal, During Their Swearing-in Ceremony By The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, At The Supreme Court in Abuja, Yesterday.

Consequently, only 11 Justices were sworn-in yesterday, including Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim who has been the Chief Justice of Gambia since 2009.

The petitioners contended that though Justice Jombo-Ofo is currently serving under the Abia State judiciary, she lacks the requisite locus to take a slot meant for the state since she was originally from Anambra State, notwithstanding the fact that she is married to a man from Abia State.

The embattled judge, who was asked to vacate the row reserved for the new justices, shortly before the swearing-in ceremony commenced at the Supreme Court auditorium yesterday, was said to have transferred her service from Anambra to Abia State after her marriage.

She was called to Bar in 1979 and appointed a High Court Judge on November 4, 1998, and has since remained in the Abia State judiciary.

The Abia state governor had written a letter to the CJN last Saturday, confirming the state of origin of Justice Jumbo-Ofo, noting that she has been in the Abia State judiciary for the past 14 years.

According to a source at the apex court, Governor Orji in his letter to the CJN stressed that it was in recognition of her meritorious service to the state, that his government, nominated her for elevation to the appellate court, even as he urged the CJN to disregard the petition.

Despite Orji’s intervention, the CJN refused to be dragged into the existing controversy and went ahead to step-down the swearing-in of Justice Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo.

source: http://www.informationnigeria.org/2012/11/state-of-origin-controversy-denies-female-judge-appeal-court-seat.html