The Kebbi state House of Assembly has described as false reports that it had communicated its confirmation of Justice Asabe Karatu as the Chief Judge to the state governor, Abubakar Bagudu.
Apparently reacting to a story that Karatu had petitioned the National Judicial Council over Governor Bagudu’s refusal to confirm her for being a Christian, the state Assembly held that it never cleared Karatu for confirmation.
In a statement, Speaker of the Assembly, Honourable Abdulmumini Kamba maintained that it declined to confirm Justice Karatu as Chief Judge due to alterations and inconsistencies in her credentials.
Pointing to the Karatu’s appearance at the Assembly for screening on August 1, 2018, Kamba said lawmakers observed that the primary school leaving certificate presented by Karatu was altered severally, including an alteration to her date of birth from May 1952 to May 1954.
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On three other occasions, with Karatu’s last appearance at the Assembly on May 15th, 2019, Kamba said the Assembly consistently withheld its confirmation on account of the alterations and inconsistencies.
Against the backdrop of the recent report circulated in the social media, Kamba, therefore, maintained that religion was not an issue in the non-confirmation of Karatu and that the Assembly never wrote a letter to Bagudu to that effect.
The statement further read, “The attention of the Kebbi State House of Assembly has been drawn to a story circulation in the Social Media with the title: “Kebbi Female Acting Chief Judge Petitions National Judicial Council over Governor Bagudu’s refusal to confirm her for being Christian”
“In it, it was alleged that the Kebbi State House of Assembly had written to the Kebbi State Governor confirming Justice Asabe Karatu as Chief Judge of Kebbi State on January 17th, 2019. This is not correct. There was never such a communication.
“The Kebbi State Governor, Senator Abubakar A Bagudu, wrote to the Honourable House on June 02, 2018 appointing Justice Asabe Karatu as Chief Judge and seeking the confirmation of the House as required by the Constitution. Justice Asabe Karatu was invited by the House on August, 1st 2018.
“During the confirmation hearing which Justice Karatu attended in the company of some Higher Court Judges, it was observed by Honourable Members that the Primary School Leaving Certificate presented by Justice Karatu was altered severally, including an alteration to the date of birth from May 1952 to May 1954.. Justice Karatu accepted that she was aware of the alterations but that they were done by the Headmaster.
“On account of the alterations and other inconsistencies in her credentials, the Honourable House rejected the request by the Governor and declined to confirm her as Chief Judge of Kebbi State.
“Subsequently, and on three other occasions, the State Governor, Senator Bagudu, wrote and sought her confirmation. On all the occasions the Honourable House maintained it’s refusal confirm Justice Asabe Karatu as Chief Judge of Kebbi State on account of the alterations and inconsistencies with the last such rejection made by the Honourable House on May 15th, 2019.
“For the record under our Constitution, it is the Honourable House of Assembly and not the Governor that has the power to confirm a Chief Judge. At no time did the House, at Plenary or an Executive session confirm the appointment of Justice Karatu as claimed in the social media story. The purported letter mentioned in the story said to be from the House of Assembly addressed to the Governor was never written by the Kebbi State House of Assembly.
“The Kebbi State House of Assembly condemns the story in its entirety and there is no truth to the allegation of religion as an issue in Kebbi State. In fact, it is noteworthy that the former Chief Judge of the State is of the Christian faith. Kebbi State is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious state and every faith or ethnicity is treated equally.”
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