Jonathan Appoints Bukar Acting FCT CJ

Jonathan Appoints Bukar Acting FCT CJ

• NJC rejects Gumi’s bid to stop probe

Tobi Soniyi

President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed Justice Ibrahim   Bukar as the acting Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The appointment followed the voluntary retirement from service of  the former occupant of the post, Justice Lawal Hassan Gumi. 

But notwithstanding his retirement, Gumi is being probed by the National Judicial Commission (NJC) for alleged misdemeanour while in office and yesterday he lost a bid to stop the NJC from carrying on investigation into the petition against him because he had quit the Bench.

A statement signed by NJC's spokesperson, Mr Soji Oye, said  Justice Ibrahim M. Bukar would be sworn in by Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mariam Mukhtar  today.  

In a related development, the NJC has rejected an objection by Justice Gumi to stop his probe for alleged misconduct while in office.

At the resumed hearing of the petition against him yesterday, his lawyer,  Israel Olorundare  (SAN) raised a preliminary objection challenging the competence of the NJC to probe him because he had since resigned his office as a judicial officer since May 13.

Justice Gumi in his objection had stated that having retired voluntarily and no longer being a judicial officer and having paid three months salary into the federal treasury in lieu of notice, he could no longer appear before the NJC as the panel lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case against a retired judicial officer.

He further stated that there were series of litigations in respect of the matter pending before the Abuja High Court and  the Federal High Court, adding that the NJC did not share concurrent jurisdiction with a high court.

However,   the NJC panel in overruled the preliminary objection.
The panel held that it was  a fact-finding body  set up before  Gumi sent in his resignation letter dated May 13  notifying the NJC of his voluntary retirement and  which was received on May 14th.

The panel further held that: "The act was allegedly committed before the 13  of May 2013 and not after, the preliminary objection was therefore overruled."
Also facing probe for several offences are two other chief judges of Enugu and Bauchi and the chief judge of the Federal High Court.

However, the case of the Chief Registrar of the FCT High Court, Toyin Yahaya, had been referred to the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) having not yet been made a judge over the role she played in allegedly obstructing the execution of  the orders of an Abuja High Court.
Hearing on the petition against Justice Gumi continues today.