C'River Judicial Commission Sanctions 4 Magistrates, Others For Alleged Drunkenness, Corruption
By Ndifereke BASSEY
The Cross River State Judicial Commission has sanctioned 4 magistrates and some staff over alleged corruption, falsification of records, judicial incompetence, drunkenness and absence from duty post.
This is contained in a release signed by Peter Ene, the secretary of the Judicial Service Commission and dated 5th November, 2024.
The release notes that the CRJSC at its meeting on October 17, 2024, has taken disciplinary action against some Magistrates of the Cross River State Judiciary over established allegations of corruption, falsification of records, judicial incompetence, drunkenness, absence from duty post and gross misconduct, respectively.
Accordingly, the commission has suspended four magistrates without pay including His Worship, Ushie Cecilia Ushang, Magistrate Grade 1, Port Court, Calabar - Suspension takes effect from 5th November, 2024 to 5th March, 2025 and His Worship, Gabriel Awah Ebebe, Magistrate Grade 1, Chief Magistrate Court,c Edor, Ikom L.G.A, suspension takes effect from 5th November 2024 to 5th February, 2025.
Others are His Worship, Gabriel Eliom Agana, Chief Magistrate Grade 11, Chief Magistrates Court, Effraya, Ikom L.G.A, suspension takes effect from from 5th November, 2024 to 5th March, 2025 and His Worship, Shadrach Oru Orji, Deputy Chief Registrar, Chief Magistrates Court 1, Ogoja. Suspension takes effect from 5th November, 2024 to 5th March, 2025.
The statement directed all affected Magistrates in the outstations are to handover all pending cases to their respective Court Registrars for necessary action, while the Magistrate in Calabar is directed to hand over all pending files to the Administrative Chief Magistrate.
Similarly, the Commission has suspended some staff over established allegations of corruption, falsification of Court Records and conversion of auctioned sales proceeds respectively.
They include Ms. Iyaji Josephine Augustine, Principal Litigation Officer 11, Chief Magistrates Court, Ogoja Suspension takes effect from November 5, 2024 to March 5, 2025. Suspension is without pay while Mr. Emmanuel Okon Etim, Chief Bailiff, Chief Magistrates Court, Moore Road, Calabar. Suspension takes effect from November 5, 2024 to February 5, 2025 whose suspension is without pay.
Also, the Commission directs Mr. Emmanuel Okon Etim (Chief Bailiff) to refund forthwith the sum of N171,000.00 (One hundred and seventy one thousand Naira) only being the assessed monetary value of the missing items to the Claimant/Judgment Debtor in Suit No. MC/RT/1197/2021.
The Commission also issued warning letters to His Worship, Okon Edet Ekpenyong, Senior Magistrate, Grade 1, Ikom L.G. A., His Worship, Ojar Michael Egbal, Chief Magistrate Grade 11, Chief Magistrate Court 1, Ikom L.G.A. and Mr. Emmanuel Okon Etim, Chief Bailiff, Chief Magistrates Court, Moore Road, Calabar whose petitions were dismissed for want of evidence to establish allegations made against them.
The commission, "the sanctions are consistent to the extant provisions of Section 3 Rule No. 03305 of the Cross River State Public Service Rules, 2004.
"To this end, the Commission wishes to reiterate its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of judicial conduct and further states that it would not hesitate to apply the appropriate sanctions against any erring staff particularly those saddled with judicial responsibilities in order to safeguard the integrity and accountability of the judicial system and maintain the confidence of the general public."
