The Benue State House of Assembly (BNHA),has recommended the immediate sack of the Chief Judge (CJ) of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpambese.
The legislators also recommended the replacement of the CJ, with the next most senior Judicial Officer to act in his stead.
The development followed the alleged uncovering of issues of financial misappropriation and abuse of office leveled against the Chief Judge, by the Executive arm, through the State Ministry of Justice and Public Order.
The Executive has recommended the removal of the State CJ, pending “an honest, independent, hitch-free, transparent and diligent investigation into these allegations” by the National Judicial Council (NJC).
The plot to remove the CJ, gathered steam on Monday, in a meeting allegedly held at the house of the Majority Leader, Saater Tiseer, with some lawmakers in attendance.
The letter to the Assembly, on Tuesday, said:”Mr. Speaker, there is, in our estimation and perhaps in the estimation of right thinking members of the society, an imprudent violation of the ethical standards expected of judicial officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpambese and we make bold to advance the following grounds:
“Abuse of office by issuing a directive to overturn the Benue State Electoral Law duly passed by the Benue State House of Assembly and assented to by the Governor of the state; Misappropriation and Mismanagement of the Budgetary Allocation and Finances of the Benue State Judiciary
“Engagements with politicians and political office holders for favourable judicial outcomes; Indirect participation and incitement of industrial actions against the state executive.
“Acts of bribery and corruption. Undue favouritism and dire insistence on cronies holding unmerited judicial positions.”
The letter further stated, “Mr. Speaker, having enumerated the many alleged ills perpetuated by Justice Maurice Ikpambese, I shall make bold to substantiate same with particulars. However, we shall, for the purpose of this complaint hold back on our best evidence which will be better substantiated at the point of investigation.”
On issues of alleged financial impropriety, the letter said, “Mr. Speaker, since his emergence as the CJ of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpambese spends way beyond the budgetary allocation of the judiciary. Similarly, he has not, by the string of any imagination rendered account of expenditures from the state judiciary.
“There is a huge discrepancy in the financial figures under his watch from our findings. We shall consider this ground on financial infractions from the Benue State High Court, the Customary Court of Appeal and the Benue State Judicial Service Commission.
“Available records secured from remittances from the Accountant- General to High Court of Justice from January to December, 2024 and Bank Statements from High Court of Justice covering Zenith Bank, First Bank, Fidelity Bank and Unity Bank indicate convincingly that Justice Ikpambese over spent the 2024 budget on International Travels, & Training and Renovation of office buildings to the tune of N666,984,687.20 which contravened sections 0206, 0632 and 0635 of the Financial Instructions (FI).
The letter appealed: “Mr. Speaker, in the light of these worrisome developments that have tainted the Benue State Judiciary under Honourable Justice Maurice Ikpambese with shame, We pray the Benue State House of Assembly to forthwith, make the necessary recommendations for the removal of Honourable Justice Maurice Ikpambese as the Chief Judge of Benue State in line with Section 292(1)(a)(II) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended).
“Direct the forwarding of a complaint to the National Judicial Council so as to carry out an honest, independent, hitch-free, transparent and diligent investigation into these allegations, especially as they relate to the abuse of his office as Judicial Officer demonstrated by his confrontational disregard for the laws enacted by the state legislature and the financial infractions against him pending the recommendation of the National Judicial Council as provided in Section 292(1)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended).
“Mr. Speaker, we call for the state assembly to recommend for immediate swearing in of the next-in-line Judicial Officer within the state as the Acting Chief Judge of Benue State.”
It was following the prayers by the Executive, that the State Assembly sat and recommended the removal of the State CJ, “over gross violation of ethical code of conduct” for judicial officers.
Reading the correspondence from the State Ministry of Justice, the Majority Leader, Saater Tiseer, explained that Justice Ikpambese committed the following offences: “Abuse of office by issuing a directive to overturn the Benue State Electoral Law passed by the Benue State House of Assembly and assented to by the Governor of the State.
“Misappropriation and mismanagement of the Budgetary Allocation and Finances of the Benue State Judiciary; Engagement with politicians and political office holders for favourable judicial outcomes.
“Indirect participation and incitement of the industrial actions against the State executive; Acts of bribery and corruption and undue favoritism and dire insistence on cronies holding unmerited positions.
Twenty three members of the BNHA voted in support of the removal of the State Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese.
