Imo Assembly asks gov to sack CJ over age falsification

The Imo State House of Assembly has called for the removal of the state’s Chief Judge, Theresa Chikeka, over allegations of age falsification.

A four-man ad-hoc committee investigated the petition and found that Chikeka falsified her age from October 27, 1956, to October 27, 1958.

The Chairman of the Committee and House Committee Chairman on Information and Judiciary, Ikenna Ihezuo, while presenting the investigation report on the committee of the whole House, described the act as gross misconduct.

The committee report read, “On Wednesday, July 3, 2024, the Imo State House of Assembly received a petition from the Civil Society Engagement Platform (CSEP). The petition was signed by the organisation’s Director of Investigation, Ndubuisi Onyemaechi, and contained allegations against the Chief Judge of Imo state, Mrs. Theresa Chukwuemeka Chikeka.

“The House, in pursuant to section 292 of the constitution, set up a four-man committee to quickly look into it and report to the House. In the course of the investigation, the committee invited the petitioners, the Head of Service, the Secretary of Imo State Judiciary Commission and the accused, Mrs. Theresa Chukwuemeka Chikeka, Imo Chief Judge, for an interface.

“The Committee also wrote the Secretary to the Council and Director of Administration, Nigerian Law School to find out the date of birth the Chief Judge filled in her form when she was admitted into the Nigerian Law School. All those invited appeared before the panel including the petitioners who adopted and owned up the petition as their write-up. The Chief Judge refused to honour the Committee’s invitation.”

The Assembly’s resolution recommended that Governor Hope Uzodinma remove Chikeka from office, as stipulated in the constitution.

“Consequently, the Committee recommended that the Governor of the state, Senator Hope Uzodinma, should remove the Chief Judge of the state, Honourable Justice Theresa Chukwuemeka Chikeka, from office for misconduct in keeping with the section 292 of the 1999 constitution (as amended).

“In addition, the Committee ruled that the House resolution on the issue be forwarded to National Judicial Commission (NJC) for further action,” the report concluded.