Judex Okoro, Calabar
State High Court sitting in Calabar has restrained Governor Ben Ayade and four others from interfering in the affairs of the Cross River State Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
Ayade, on October 25, inaugurated a four-man member JSC in what some lawyers consider a breach of the law.
The governor had earlier dissolved a five man commission inaugurated on July 7, 2017 while its tenure was yet to expire.
Irked by the development, Edem Edem Ita, Egbara Owan and his Lordship Fedelia Okpo Ene (rtd.),who claimed to be authentic members of the state judicial service commission, approached the court to seek redress since their tenure had not elapsed.
They accused Governor Ayade of failing to follow laid down rules in the appointment of the new members of the judicial service commission.
The applicant’s counsel, Utum Eteng, in an affidavit prayed the court for an interim injunction to restrain the defendants, their agents, servants and functionaries from administering, managing or carrying out the duties of the state judicial service commission or posing as members of the commission pending the hearing of motion on notice.
The affidavit stressed that by the law of JSC, no man has the power to appoint people to serve in the commission without rectification by the state House of Assembly.
