February 18, (THEWILL) – The Benue State House of Assembly passed a resolution allowing the Governor to remove, with immediate effect, the State Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambase, over allegations of misappropriation of funds, abuse of office and other sundry infractions.
Speaker Mr Aondona Dajoh, who announced the resolution after a vote on a motion moved by the House Majority Leader, Mr Saater Tiseer and seconded by the Chief Whip, Mr Peter Ipusu, on Tuesday, said that Twenty-Three out of Thirty members voted in support of the motion for his removal.
Mr Aondona Dajoh equally called on the Governor to, as a matter of urgency, swear in the judicial officer who is next in the order of seniority as the new Acting Chief Judge pending the full investigation of the allegations levelled against Justice Ikpambase.
Earlier, in a correspondence read on the floor of the House and signed by the State Attorney-General, Barr Fidelis Mnyim, on behalf of the Governor, accusing the embattled Chief Judge of gross abuse of his office in a manner that is unbecoming of a highly placed Judicial Officer, pointing out that evidence before him shows that he misappropriated and mismanaged funds to the tune of over Six Hundred Million Naira.
Justice Ikpambase was also accused of unilaterally altering some sections of the State Independent Electoral Commission Law duly passed by the Assembly and signed into law by the Governor by granting waivers to some aspects of the Law, thereby, paving the way for frivolous litigations against the Local Government Election and unholy association with politicians and other political office holders to gain favors.
It was further alleged that Justice Ikpambese was using his exalted office to grant unmerited favours to his cronies, friends and in-laws without regard to competence, credibility and laid down procedures among many others.
The Attorney General, on behalf of the Governor, appealed to the House to evoke Section 292(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by passing a resolution allowing the Governor to remove the Embattled Chief Judge and to swear in an Acting Chief Judge for the over.
