Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, yesterday, swore in justices Linda Okibe, Veronica Ajogwu and Esther Alukwu as judges of Enugu State High Court.

Justice Okibe, until her elevation was the chief registrar of the High Court of Justice, Enugu, while Justices Ajogwu and Alukwu were chief magistrates (Grade 1) of the state’s judiciary.

Swearing in the new judges, Governor Ugwuanyi said the action was taken in response to the decision of the National Judicial Council (NJC), communicated to him through the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the Chairman of the Council, Mr. W.S.N. Onnoghen, which recommended three persons out of the eight candidates shortlisted by the Enugu State Judicial Service Commission (JSC), for appointment as High Court judges in the state.

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The governor said the appointment of the new judges came as a “welcome relief to the Enugu State Judiciary, especially in the face of the current dearth of judges in the state.” He pleaded with NJC to consider the recommendation for more appointments to “enable us fill the many vacancies that currently exist in the Enugu State Judiciary.”    

While congratulating the judges on their deserved appointments, Ugwuanyi expressed confidence that they will approach their new responsibilities with due dignity, integrity and commitment.

Presenting the new judges to the governor for swearing in, the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Priscilla Emehelu, in her address, said the jurists were appointed by the NJC after “a long and rigorous exercise.”