From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Thursday, chided Justice Ekaette Obot, the Chief Judge of Akwa-Ibom State over the continued detention of a lawyer and activist, Inibehe Effiong, who has been jailed for a month for alleged contempt of the court.
NLC also demanded the immediate release of the activist, stating that the Organized Labour is guided by the fundamental principle of justice in the laws that presume ”an accused person is innocent until proven guilty – Ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat.”
The lawyer attracted the one month sentence when he expressed worries over the presence of armed policemen in the court while defending a case of defamation brought by the State Governor, Udom Emmanuel which was before the judge, at the Akwa-Ibom State High Court in a case of
NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, in a statement questioned the grounds on which the lawyer is being imprisoned, noting that it is against the principles of fairness and justice.
He said, ”While we recuse ourselves from interrogating the merit or otherwise of the contemptuous acts that led to the sentencing of Mr Inibehe Effiong, we are guided by moral punction which instructs restraint in the exercise of the mighty powers reposed in the state and its institutions of authority.
“Unfortunately, the treatment of Mr Inibehe Effiong since the commencement of the defamatory case against his client appears to violate the morality of the natural instinct to protect the weak and vulnerable against the mighty and powerful.
“The ordeal of Mr Effiong also appears to portray him as an accessory to the crime allegedly committed by his client. This burden becomes heavier given that the order to remand Mr Effiong to a correctional facility even while the case is still under trial came from the state Chief Judge who sits on the case. Clearly, the events surrounding this case make no pretence that Mr Effiong is up and against the mighty and powerful.
“In the pursuit of justice which must not only be served but always seen to have been served fairly, we call on the Akwa Ibom State Chief Judge to be circumspect in her handling of the case which Mr Inibehe Effiong is defending considering that his client, Mr Leo Ekpenyong made damning allegations against the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Emmanuel Udom.”
The labour leader maintained that the congress does not believe that it serves the cause of justice and public order for Effiong to be perceived to be punished for doing the job of representing his client, adding that there is no room for vindictiveness in Nigeria’s laws.
Wabba demanded that Justice Obot should recuse herself from presiding over the case and assign the case file to another Judge in order to restore confidence in the case that Effiong is representing.
“We also find it curious that Mr Effiong’s lawful request for the order of the court proceedings that sentenced him to be released was denied more than twenty days after he had filed for the release even when the law provides that such a request should be granted after seven days.
“Furthermore, the fact that a journalist who was also covering the proceedings of the court the day Mr Effiong was sentenced was also harassed by Justice Obot who had his recording device confiscated and the contents deleted and the subsequent ill-treatment of Mr Effiong while in custody lends weight to the suspicion of an organized ambush designed to intimidate and cower.
“The truth is that there is no room for vindictiveness in our laws. It is on this premise that we call on the Akwa Ibom State Chief Judge, Honourable Justice Ekaette Obot to reverse her earlier ruling incarcerating Mr Inibehe Effiong.
“In order to restore confidence in the case that Mr Effiong is representing, especially given the bad blood that now exists between the trial judge and the defendant’s counsel, it is best that Justice Ekaette Obot recuse herself from presiding over the case and assign the case file to another judge.
”We all have a responsibility to protect the integrity of our judiciary as it is the last hope of the common man and woman. This is a burden that the Nigeria Labour Congress will always discharge.” He added.