Rivers First Female CJ Retires 10 Days After Oath of Office

Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Daisy Okocha will be retiring on Thursday, January 14 after ten days of taking the oath of office as the state chief judge.
Okocha who is the state first female chief judge was appointed by the State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, after the Appeal Court’s ruling on December 23, 2015.

She took her oath of office as a substantive Chief Judge of the state on Monday, January 4, after serving her two terms in office as the acting Chief Judge of the state from June 1, 2015 to January 4,2016.

A statement from the office of the High Court Registrar said a valedictory church service in honour of the retiring state Chief Judge would hold at St Paul’s Cathedral Church, Garrison in Port Harcourt by 10.am tomorrow and would be preceded by a Special Court Session at the Chief Judge’s Ceremonial Court Hall at the state Judiciary Complex, Port Harcourt.

Two other serving judges of the state High Court, Justice Ben Ugari and C. Uriri, bowed out of the service on Tuesday after attaining the mandatory retirement age.

Speaking at the valedictory ceremony in honour of the two retired Judges at the state judiciary complex in Port Harcourt, on Tuesday, a representative of the Judges of the state High Court, Justice George Omereji eulogised the two retired Judges for their selfless service to the state and the society at large.

Omereji described the retired judges as trusted and fearless, saying that they discharged their duties without fear and favour.
He opined that the two retired Judges of the state High Court would be remembered for their distinguished and honest services and contributions to the development of the judiciary in the state, even as he prayed the Almighty God to grant them a fruitful retirement life.

Also speaking, the state Attorney-General and  Commissioner for Justice, Hon Emmanuel Aguma urged judges in the state and the country to uphold the  tenets of the profession by being resolute in the discharge of their duties, adding that the development of any society was dependent on the country’s judiciary.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) while congratulating the retired Judges for their selfless services, noted that it pays for one to retire in service with honour.
Justice Ben Ugari while responding on behalf of the retired judges, expressed gratitude to God for giving them the grace to serve Him and humanity and enjoined  his colleagues to maintain sanity of the legal profession by shunning any act that would bring reproach to the noble profession.