Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade has formally sworn-in the Secretary to the State Government, Tina Baku Agbor who is reappointed for a second term to work with the Governor.
The Governor on the same occasion on Thursday held at the State Executive Council Chambers, also swore-in two new High Court Judges into the state judiciary.
The new judges are Prof. Victor Ani Offiong and Justice Angela Obi.
In his address, Governor Ayade told the judges that they “have been elevated to the stool where their morality and conscience will decide the fate of people”.
His words, “I use this opportunity to congratulate you and to speak to your soul. Apart from God, in the circular world, the Bench is supreme; by your own decision, a man can be put behind bars and by your decision, life can be taken. Your job is to carry out the service of God in your office. Any compromise that questions the imprisonment of an innocent person, or the injustice to an innocent person; it will hunt you and hunt you for life”.
He further charged them not to compromise justice because of any amount of money nor political pressure. Adding, “as a governor, if I have any reason to put pressure, I only put pressure for the right thing to be done”.
Governor Ayade, took particular interest in Prof. Victor Offiong being sworn in as a judge, noting that he was the first in the state to be so sworn in from the academic to the Bench. And also expressed pleasure that one of the two new judges was a female and that female has continually proven themselves in various positions of responsibility and authority.
The State Chief Judge, Justice Michael Edem in his remarks before handing the new judges to the governor to swear them in, noted that they had long awaited the swearing-in ceremony “but it is better late than never.”
The National Judicial Council had since April 2019 screened and confirmed the two judges who awaited the constitutional requirement for the governor to swear them in.
The swearing-in ceremony held at the state Executive Chambers was witnessed by State Deputy Governor, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly Hon. Eteng Jones William and the State Chief Judge, Justice Michael Edem among other functionaries of the state government.