Ten months later, Cross River assembly confirms Ikpeme as CJ

After ten months of politicking and rejection, the Cross River State House of Assembly has finally confirmed Justice Akon Ikpeme as the state.

The assembly had rejected Ikpeme twice for posing a security risk because she is an indigene of Akwa Ibom despite the fact that she is married to a Cross Riverian.

Ikpeme was to take over from the former, chief judge, Justice Michael Edem. However, she acted as chief judge from December 3, 2019, to March 2, 2020, with the assembly blocking her confirmation as substantive chief judge.

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After her acting capacity elapsed, Justice Maurice Eneji was appointed in an acting capacity. He acted twice until September 2, 2020. Then Justice Eyo Effiom Ita was also appointed to replace Eneji and his tenure ended on January 21.

However, following the National Judicial Council’s refusal to grant the state’s request to promote Ikpeme to the Appeal Court, the governor on January 20 wrote to the State House of Assembly to confirm Justice Ikpeme.

The lawmakers pulled themselves out of recess on Thursday to sit just to confirm Ikpeme, a task they did within 30 minutes.

House Speaker Eteng Jonah Williams asked the clerk, Bassey Ekpeyong, speaking in an interview with journalists after the confirmation, said the House had nothing against the judge and that the confirmation was borne out of a painstaking investigation by the committee of the House.