Diplomats Demand Visa Ban on Benue Chief Judge, Registrar, Others, Reason Emerge
- Diplomats have called for a visa ban on the Benue State Chief Judge, the Registrar of the court, the current Senate Minority Leader, and others
- The members of the United World Congress of Diplomats (UN-WCD) made the call over the judiciary crisis in Benue state
- The group said those who supported the actions of the Chief Judge publicly in the ongoing judicial crisis should be sanctioned and have their existing visas canceled and banned
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 7 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international events
FCT, Abuja - Members of the United World Congress of Diplomats (UN-WCD) have demanded a visa ban on the Benue State Chief Judge, the Registrar of the court, the current Senate Minority Leader, and others.
The group said the visa ban should be for supporting the actions of the Chief Judge publicly in the ongoing judicial crisis in the state.
Source: UGC
"The Benue State Chief Judge, the Registrar of the court, the current Senate Minority Leader, and all those who supported the actions of the Chief Judge publicly should be sanctioned and have their existing visas canceled and visa ban issued against them just as we advocated in the case of Rivers State and INEC officials who purposely sabotaged democratic principles during elections.”
This was contained in a statement made available to Legit.ng on February 27, 2025.
Leader of the group, Professor of Politics & International Studies, Amb. Dr. Tunji John Asaolu called for the total reform of the Nigerian judicial system to build the confidence of Nigerians.
Asaolu stated this while addressing a news conference on Thursday, February 27, 2025, in Abuja.
He called on Governor Rev Fr. Hyacinth Alia to speedily appoint an acting Chief Judge to prevent a vacuum in the judiciary and uphold the uninterrupted delivery of justice to the citizens of Benue State.
He explained that the call for judiciary reform was necessitated by alleged undue inference of judicial workers in Rivers, Osun, and Benue states on political issues.
He added that conflicting orders were issued by judges just to frustrate democracy in those states.
Dr. Asaolu said the alleged interference by the Benue State Chief Judge, Maurice Ikpambese is the most worrisome.
Ikpambese allegedly tried to undermine justice by granting waver to petitioners of local government election tribunal not to pay security deposit as stipulated by law.
The group argued that the conduct was against the core objectives of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance (ACDEG)
The diplomats called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the National Judicial Council (NJC) to exercise caution and restraint in passing judgment on the removal of Justice Maurice Ikpambese until a thorough investigation is conducted.
The group urged the NJC and the NBA to act in accordance with the truth and uphold the rule of law by condemning any illegal actions committed by any Chief Judge, rather than endorsing or supporting any questionable conduct.
Source: UGC
"We emphasize the importance of upholding the rule of law and ensuring accountability for all public officials, including judges. Any acts of misconduct or abuse of power must be met with swift and decisive action to maintain public trust and confidence in the judiciary," they noted.
"We can assure you that we will continue to monitor the situation closely and advocate for ethical governance practices in Nigeria and beyond.
"We have it in good authority that the National Judicial Council is yet to even constitute an investigative panel to unravel the allegations against the Chief Judge, a resolution passed by the Benue State Legislative Arm of Government which recommended outright removal of the Chief Judge from office.
UAE Lifts visa ban on Nigeria
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said Nigerian passport holders can now apply for its visa, lifting a two-year visa ban on Nigerians.
The minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this.
The Minister said the UAE said Nigerians can now start applying for visas beginning July 15, but first obtain DVN.
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Source: Legit.ng
