Enugu Gets New Judicial Leadership

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has appointed the newly reconstituted Enugu State Judicial Service Commission and the Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy.

The State Judicial Commission, which is led by the Chief Judge of Enugu State,

Justice Ozoemena Afojulu, as Chairman, also has the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, and Justice Chibueze Nnamani, the President of the Customary Court of Appeal. Other members are Justice Reuben Onuora (Rtd.), legal scholar Professor Chukwumerie (SAN), and representatives like Hon. Gabriel Agbo and Dr. Udechukwu Ezeh.

The seven-member Advisory Council includes the Attorney General as the chair, Dr. Rita Emeh as a member, and a secretary named Barr. Seth Nwokolo. The council also benefits from the perspectives of representatives from the Nigerian Correctional Service, Carmelite Prisoners Interest Organisation (CAPIO), and the Catholic Institute for Development, Justice, and Peace (CIDJAP).

At the inauguration ceremony of the new members of the Judicial Service Commission, Governor Mbah emphasised two key tasks for the commission. He stressed the importance of both taking care of judges (ensuring their welfare) and selecting new judges (overseeing employment) to build a strong court system. Governor Mbah explained that a well-functioning judiciary is essential to attracting businesses to the state.

He said, in my one-year anniversary address, I listed a number of reforms and majors we have taken in the judiciary. This is important because it also ties to the aim of the government to improve our economy, because one of the indicators of the ease of doing business is also the enforcement of contracts. But that would not happen if you didn’t have a sound judicial system.

We are moving all our processes and procedures online to streamline our workflow. This includes advanced court reporting that eliminates manual note-taking, freeing up judges to focus on their duties.