Port Harcourt Branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) has taking a swipe at the Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for insulting judges and the state judiciary over unfavourable judgements.
Branch chairman of the NBA, Prince Nyekwere while reacting to a recent statement credited to Ogbonna Nwuke wherein he announced some judges as faces behind unwarranted court orders in the state, condemned the action and advised the party to be cautious of the kind of utterances it makes about judges and the judiciary.
The statement reads in parts:
“It has become imperative to restate that there are laid down procedures for members of the public and aggrieved parties to make complaints against conduct of any judge they perceive to be contrary to the Code of Conduct of Judicial Officers.
It is also open to parties who are not satisfied with the judgement and ruling of any judge to appeal such judgment and ruling rather than recourse to the use of media circus to insult and vilify the Judge and the Judiciary as a whole.
We are appalled by the temerity of the APC, Rivers State to refer to some Judges of the Rivers State Judiciary as “judges being used to issue black market injunctions” amongst other execrable languages.
We condemn in the strongest terms such unfortunate and condemnable blitzkrieg attack on the Judges of the Rivers State Judiciary.
While members of the public are entitled to make complaints against any earring Judge of the Rivers State Judiciary using the laid down procedures, the NBA PH Branch will not condone any disrespect, affront and intimidation against the Judges of the State Judiciary under any guise.
We therefore call on the APC, Rivers State and politicians to be guided in their utterances concerning Judges of the State and the State Judiciary at all times”.
