The National Judicial Council NJC has forwarded the name of Barrister Mainasara Ibrahim Kogo Umar to President Bola Tinubu for an appointment as Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal.
If appointed, Kogo Umar will replace Danladi Yakubu Umar, the former Chairman of the Tribunal, who was removed from office recently by the president.
The recommendation of the nominee was made by the body at a meeting presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun in Abuja.
In a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Information, Kemi Babalola Ogedengbe, indicated that the recommendation followed consideration of various public complaints made against shortlisted candidates for the various positions and interviews by the Committee.
The Council also nominated Justices Adekanye Lekan Ogunmoye for an appointment as Chief Judge of Ekiti State and Kadi Abba Mammadi as Grand KhadiYobe State.
Similarly, eighteen candidates were recommended for appointments as judges for different jurisdictions in the country.
Cross River High Court, Ogun, the High Court of Zamfara, all has nominees, while the Sharia Court of Appeal has three Khadis.
Plateau Sharia Court of Appeal has one Khadi while Ebonyi Customary Court of Appeal also has one judge nominee. Similarly, Katsina State High Court has four candidates.
Meanwhile, the Council has approved the voluntary retirement of Justices Babatunde Ademola Bakre of the Ogun State High Court and H. O. Ajayi of the Kwara State High Court.
The body also barred a judge of the National Industrial Court, Justice Isaac Essien, from being considered for promotion to a Higher Court for three years due to misconduct.
Justice Essien was found to have wrongly ordered the confiscation of over N1 billion belonging to the Nasarawa State Government and its Local Government Councils, despite being aware that there was a pending appeal and a pending application for stay of execution.
NJC noted that the judge refused to step aside from the case after the Nasarawa State government raised concerns about possible bias.
Justice Essien was a former staff member of the State University, which owed him gratuity, and he had earlier demanded payment using the official letterhead of the court, a clear breach of Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers.
The Council further criticized him for personally visiting the Court of Appeal registry to confirm if an appeal had been filed in the case, an action considered highly inappropriate for a judge.
He was found to have violated several rules in the Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers and was reprimanded and barred from elevation to a higher judicial office for a period of three years.
After considering various petitions, the Council cautioned Justice Rahman Oshodi over misuse of judicial discretion in Suit No. ID/232/53C/23.
Justice Daniel Okungbowa, Chief Judge Edo State, was also cautioned over abuse of his judicial discretion in Suit No. B1/555/2020 and was advised to exercise his discretion judicially and judiciously in the future.
The Council issued a final warning to Justice G. B. Okolosi of the Delta State High Court for continuing to flout Section 294 (1) of the 1999 Constitution while Justice Sa’adatu Mark of the Federal High Court received caution for delivering judgment after constitutional 90 days.
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