By Akpan David, Calabar
The Cross River State House of Assembly has finally confirmed Justice Akon Ikpeme as the chief judge of Cross River State.
This comes after repeated rejection over issues of security threat.
In a very brief sitting, Ikpeme, who was to take over from the former State Chief Judge, Justice Michael Edem, the assembly expeditiously acted on a 20 January 2021 letter from the secretary to the state government, Tina Agbor, which requested it to screen and confirm her.
Ikpeme had briefly acted as chief judge from December 3, 2019 to March 2, 2020, with expectation that she would be confirmed as substantive Chief Judge but the government looked at her junior, Justice Maurice Eneji to replace her in contravention of directive of National Judicial Commission.
Eneji acted twice until September 2, 2020. Then Justice Eyo Effiom Ita was appointed to replace Eneji and his tenure ended on January 21.
After welcoming the lawmakers back to the Chamber on Thursday 27 January 2021, the Speaker, Eteng Jonah Williams asked the Clerk, Elder Bassey Ekpeyong to read the correspondentce from the governor.
The Speaker then asked the Leader of the House, Hon. Peter Odey representing Ogoja State constituency to move the motion for the confirmation.
Odey, who had consistently opposed Ikpeme’s confirmation before now, asked that the House confirm her.
Speaking to journalists, the speaker said they had nothing against the Judge and that the confirmation was borne out of a painstaking investigation by the committee on judiciary.
