By Emeka Samuel, Uyo
Two socio cultural and socio political organisations in Akwa Ibom, Afid Iwad Ekid and Akwa Ibom integrity Alliance have expressed dissapointment over the utterences of human rights lawyer Femi Falana over the current imbriolgo involving the State Chief Judge, Justice Ekeatte Obot and human rights lawyer, Mr Inibehe Effiong.
Obot had last month sentenced Effiong to one month imprsonement over what she termed to be his unrully behavior in a court sitting last month with activists staging a protest against what they termed the high handedness of the chief judge.
President of Afid Iwad Ekid,
Mr Etienne Bob told a news conference in Uyo yesterday that Falana’s recent utterances and actions were inimical to the growth and the long standing respect for seniors that the judiciary is known for.
Bob expressed suprise that a lawyer of long standing repute as Falana could join in instituting a suit against a Judge over a judgement passed on a junior lawyer who disrespected the court during proceeding.
The president reasoned that Falana could have appealed against the judgement rather than supporting a junior lawyer who displayed unwarranted radicalism during proceeding, sued a chief judge and called on him to refrain from his actions which have began to constitute a nuisance to the prevailing peace in the State.
He also called on Effiong, who is due to leave the prison next week to exercise restraint and learn how to obey his seniors in the profession inorder for him to grow and enjoy his career.
Meanwhile, chairman, Akwa Ibom State Integrity Alliance, Barr Stephen Abia has called on those attempting to belittle Akwa Ibom and it’s judicial system by their interference in the current case to desist forthwith.
Abia in a press conference reminded Falana and others supporting Effiong that the accused is already serving a jail sentence and not under detention, adding that the organisation would not tolerate parties subjecting the Chief Judge to legal ridicule instead of a procedural appeal.
“Without any equivocation, it should be on record that the said legal processes adorning the media space is completely misplaced. While we sympathize with Mr Inibehe Effiong on his predicament Mr Femi Falana and Co need to be reminded that Mr Effiong is not under detention of any sort, rather, serving a jail or prison term.
“Having made the instant convictions, the Chief Judge is naturally functus on that matter. Is Fundamental Rights Enforcement the appropriate option at this point? Is it not commonsensical that the right of a convicted terminates the moment he is convicted, and would only be exhumed on appeal? The current move is, summarily an abuse of court process.
“The truth we need to tell ourselves is that Inibehe Effiong has 90 days to appeal against the judgement. This is the law, so why the suit against the Chief Judge. Again lawyers know that the fact that you have filled an appeal in less than one month does not guarantee that the appeal will be heard immediately.
“We know this truth, we know the reality in appelette practice. This suit is therefore a storm in the tea cup or trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. It serves only to impress the public.” The chairman concluded.
