Some of the media Aides to the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel have openly blasted a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, SAN, and some twelve other lawyers for their recent legal action of dragging the state Chief Judge, Justice Ekaette Obot to court while slamming a suit on him for not releasing the Certified True Copy of court proceedings on July 27.
They had also described Falana’s and Associates’ action as a height of complete embarrassment to their legal profile as court proceedings which are only regulated and provided by Registrar and not the Judge.
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It could be alsorecalled that Justice Obot had on July 27, sentenced Mr Inibehe Effiong (Esq), who is the defence counsel to Leo Ekpenyong who was standing trial for libel against Governor Emmanuel, to 30 days in prison for confrontational act and contempt.
Falana who is a human rights lawyer had however, in a counter-suit against the Chief Judge at the Federal High Court Uyo, prayed that the court to direct Justice Obot to produce the Certified True Copy of the July 27 judgement as his client, Effiong is entitled to the copy within seven days of the conclusion of the case adding that the Chief Judge’s refusal violates Section 36 (7) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
But, Governor Emmanuel’s Aide on Research and Documentation, Mr. Essien Ndueso who had been flanked by some his counterparts on Project Monitoring, Joseph Okon and Ernest Akpan respectively in a media briefing in Uyo on Thursday claimed that the demand for Certified True Copy is purely administrative, adding that the SAN should approach the appropriate quarters which is the Registrar.
Ndueso who spoke on behalf of other Aides said Falana should be more concerned about teaching his client, Effiong, decorum and respect in court and not champion a ‘watery suit’ against Akwa Ibom State Chief Judge.
The statement in parts, “The suit is a wrong gospel by Femi Falana, SAN and his twelve disciples. Such wrong gospel cannot win any legal soul in their favour and that of their drowning client, Mr Inibehe Effiong. All we want is that justice should be served, and timely too. We are waiting patiently.
“It is quite sad and embarrassing that the plot by convicted lawyer Inibehe Effiong through outdated tactics to delay justice on the defamation suit against Barr Leo Ekpenyong can receive the signatures of 13 lawyers in the guise of suing the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, His Lordship, Justice Ekaette Obot over a demand that is purely administrative”.
“It is evident that Femi Falana, SAN, and his co-lawyers do not mean well for Barrister Inibehe Effiong. Otherwise, they would have been more concerned about teaching him how the court works outside Facebook and other social media where his legal practice flourishes more. It was this illusion that blinded him into daring a legitimate law court presided over by a State Chief Judge.
“The peaceable and tolerant disposition of Governor Udom Emmanuel has propelled all manners of insidious calumnious campaigns against his person and his government. For example, the allegation that the Governor is ordering the security clampdown on dissenting voices is very baseless and rather laughable. But that itself can best be answered by the court of public opinion, where every member of the public can see in Mr Emmanuel, a transparent and accommodating leader who has eschewed political bias in his administration of the State.
“This perhaps explains why a lawyer, Leo Ekpenyong, could throw caution to the wind and go all out to attack the personality of the Governor, accusing him of bribing some judges to secure a judgement in 2019 in favour of Senator Chris Ekpenyong who had defeated Senator Godswill Akpabio”.
