Jigawa Examines Two More Candidates for High Court Judge Appointment
Two Jigawa State High Court judge applicants, Muhammad Ado Dahiru and Aisha Ahmad Babura have been specially examined as prelude to their consideration for appointment.
Court of Appeal jurist from the Calabar division, Justice Lawal Shuaibu Taura, conducted the written examination on Tuesday in Dutse.
Justice Taura is an indigene of Jigawa State and is generally seen as an upright judicial officer.
The two candidates he examined missed the general examinations organised for all the applicants late last year on health grounds.
Their absence at the general examination raised some dust, as they surfaced for the mandatory DSS security screening without haven crossed the two hurdles that others crossed. The first was to have scored at least 62 points in the written examination and the second was to have made the required impression at the oral test that followed the written one.
Other candidates, especially those who participated in the written examination but could not make 62 points, felt cheated that the two who did not even take part in the qualifying process were allowed to attend the DSS screening.
Issues were raised and the state judicial service commission (JSC) resolved that both must also be examined by the same panel that examined others and that if they get the required scores, should also undergo oral tests.
Jigawa State Chief Judge, Justice Umar M. Sadiq, on Monday, sent messages to members of JSC to intimate them that the written examination would be conducted for the two on Tuesday.
Of course, the panel that conducted the initial process was unilaterally changed by the Chief Judge, no one raised any issue with the one-man panel of Justice Lawal Shuaibu Taura.
As of the time this story was published, the result of the written examination conducted for Muhammad Ado Dahiru (who is the secretary of the state JSC) and Aisha Ahmad Babura (who is the chief registrar of the State High Court) has not announced and circulated among other candidates as was the case in the previous process.
One of those that participated in the initial process said he will protest if the results of the two were not circulated.
“When we did ours, the results were circulated to all, including the two who did not participate. I insist that they should do same in this late process. If they keep their results under wrap, I will protest. I demand absolute transparency and anything to the contrary will cause reaction.
“Some of us did not make it past the written test stage, but we were at least satisfied that we were dropped because we did not make the required points. We would like to see their own scores too. That is what is called farness and transparency,” he said.
There are two available slots for appointment as judges of the Jigawa State High Court, and four names have already been sent to the NJC; two of them recommended and the other two as reserved candidates.
Depending on their performances in Tuesday test, Muhammad Ado Dahiru and Aisha Ahmad Babura’s names may be sent to the NJC too.
It is not clear how the JSC will deal with the situation, but a senior Kano-based legal practitioner told NigerianSketch that “JSC may need to withdraw the names it initially submitted to the NJC, and re-recommend its candidates based on performances.”
NigerianSketch reported earlier that Jigawa State got NJC’s special waiver to perfect its selection process report back in January, 2022.
Culled from NigerianSketch
Share your views on the story with OnlineNews in the comments section.
