Buhari Finally Nominates Dongban-Mensem To Senate For Appeal Court President
President Muhammadu Buhari has finally sent the name of Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem to the Senate for confirmation as the substantive President of the Court of Appeal.
This was made known to the public via a brief statement by Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Monday (June 8, 2020) afternoon.
The statement reads: “President Muhammadu Buhari, in-line with his constitutional responsibility has sent the nomination of Her Lordship, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, Acting President, Court of Appeal to the Senate for confirmation as President, Court of Appeal.
“Justice Dongban-Mensem is a serving Justice of the Court of Appeal and was recommended, as is the practice, by the National Judicial Council for the nomination by the President,” Mr Shehu wrote.
The statement is coming on the heels of publications on the media wherein lawyers and other concerned citizens criticized President Buhari for failure to confirm Mrs Dongban-Mensem’s appointment, months after she was so nominated by the National Judicial Council.
The lawyers were reacting to a statement from the Presidency on Sunday (June 7, 2020) that the President was yet to confirm her because security agencies were still screening her.
“In the specific case of the Acting President of the Court of Appeal, Her Lordship Justice M. S Dongban-Mensem, the statutory regulatory time of her acting period has not lapsed,” the statement had read.
“This is not about ethnicity or religion. It about security and law enforcement agencies being allowed to complete their work. Nobody should seek to stampede the President in carrying out his constitutional duty in this respect,” it added.
