Imo Chief Judge Faces Removal Over Alleged Age Falsification

The Imo state Chief Judge, Mrs Theresa Chukwuemeka Chikeka, may soon be removed if the resolution of the the House of Assembly is anything to go by.

The Chike Olemgbe-led Assembly during its plenary on Wednesday said that the four-man adhoc committee earlier set up by the Speaker to investigate the Chief Judge of the state upon a petition brought to the chamber alleging that she falsified her age, had gone through a rigorous investigation process, invited the petitioners, the Head of Service, the Secretary of Imo state Judiciary Commission and the accused, Mrs. Theresa Chukwuemeka Chikeka, Imo Chief Judge, for an interface.

The Chairman of the Committee and House Committee Chairman on Information and Judiciary, Ikenna Ihezuo, while presenting the investigation report on the committee of the whole House, disclosed that Mrs Chikeka falsified her age from October 27 1956 to October 27, 1958, an act the House described as a gross misconduct for which several judges and justices among other offices holders have been removed from office in Imo state and other parts of the country.

The committee reports reads further, “on Wednesday July 3, 2024, the Imo State House of Assembly received a petition from the Civil Society Engagement Platform (CSEP). The petition was signed by the Organization’s Director of Investigation, Comrade Ndubuisi Onyemaechi, and contained allegations against the Chief Judge of Imo state, Mrs Theresa Chukwuemeka Chikeka.

“The House, in pursuant to section 292 of the constitution, set up a four-man committee to quickly look into it and report to the House. In the course of the investigation, the committee invited the petitioners, the Head of Service, the Secretary of Imo state Judiciary Commission and the accused, Mrs. Theresa Chukwuemeka Chikeka, Imo Chief Judge, for an interface. The Committee also wrote the Secretary to the Council and Director of Administration, Nigerian Law School to find out the date of birth the Chief Judge filled in her form when she was admitted into the Nigerian Law School. All those invited appeared before the panel including the petitioners who adopted and owned up the petition as their write up. The Chief Judge refused to honour the Committee’s invitation.
Submissions sent in by all other persons and institutions showed that, indeed, the Chief Judge, Honourable Justice Theresa Chukwuemeka Chikeka, falsified her age age from October 27 1956 to October 27, 1958. Based on this, the committee concluded that the act amounted to misconduct.

“Consequently, the Committee recommended that the Governor of the state, Senator Hope Uzodinma, should remove the Chief Judge of the state, Honourable Justice Theresa Chukwuemeka Chikeka, from office for misconduct in keeping with the section 292 of the 1999 constitution (as amended).

“In addition, the Committee ruled that the House resolution on the issue be forwarded to National Judicial Commission (NJC) for further action.”