In a letter dated June 5, 2014 and jointly signed by Ngozi Y. Abu (Accountant-General of Rivers State and Dagogo R. Abere (Director, Treasury, Office of the Accountant-General), the Rivers State Government instructed the General Manager, Zenith Bank Plc, Plot 1/2, Presidential Estate, Aba Road Port Harcourt to stop the payment of the May salaries and allowances of judiciary workers until further notice.
The letter stated: “Sequel to the directive of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Rivers State, we write to request your bank to stop May 2014 salaries of all staff of Rivers State Judiciary till further notice,” warning: “Strict compliance in this respect is solicited. “
By this development, all the judiciary workers who have vowed to comply with the directive of the NJC will remain without their salaries and allowances.
Recall that after a meeting on May 27, the NJC’s Director of Information, Mr. Soji Oye, said the council considered the pains and frustrations, which the Rivers State Judiciary and litigants in the state were facing, following the vacuum created by the absence of a substantive or acting Chief Judge in the state. The council, therefore, directed that the most senior judge in the state should fill the vacuum as Administrative Judge of the state.
But in response to the NJC’s directive, the Rivers State Government, through the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Wogu Boms and the Commissioner for Information, Mrs. Ibim Seminatari, lampooned the council. On Monday, June 2, warned staff of the judiciary not to have anything to do with Justice Daisy Okocha or risk sanctions including dismissal.
It would also be recalled that the Rivers State House of Assembly, which was engulfed by crisis last year, has been under lock since 2013, following the power tussle.
Source: Sun
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