Rivers chief judge, man of the moment

Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, Rivers State chief judge

At the moment, the most important man in Rivers State may not be Nyesom Wike, the former governor who is now the FCT Minister. It is not even the present occupant of the Brick House, Sim Fubara, nor would it be the speaker, Martin Amaewhule, who has many copies of the impeachment letter in his hands, eager to strike.

It is Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, the honorable Justice. This is because in any era of impeachment, the chief judge becomes larger than life. The Constitution made it so. To remove the chief executive of the state, the legislature must pass through the head of the Judiciary, the chief judge.

For each of the three times the Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA) has attempted to remove the state governor, attention has always shifted to the chief judge. It is then most people begin to look up his personality and other values.

The last time, it was ‘discovered’ the chief judge had no correct date of birth, or did he have! In the night of long knives, truth flies away to embrace fakeism.

Who is Simeon Amadi? A scratch at the Rivers State judiciary files would throw up the identity of the Rivers State chief judge.

He attended UPE Primary School, Oduoha Ogbakiri, and St. Philips Primary State School, Elebrada, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1970.

Read also: Uneasy calm in Rivers as CJ keeps mum over impeachment notice

He later attended Country Grammar School, Ikwerre-Etche, Rivers State, earning his West African School Certificate in 1975.

He completed his higher school certificate at the Federal School of Arts and Science, Sokoto, obtaining his GCE A-levels in 1977.

He studied at the University of Lagos from 1978 to 1981, where he earned a Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB Hons).

Amadi attended the Nigerian Law School, Victoria Island, Lagos, and was called to the Nigerian Bar on July 17, 1982, and was recognized as one of the best NYSC members of his set.

Legal and Judicial Career

He served as a junior partner at the law firm Ichendu and Co. (Orowhu Chambers) in Port Harcourt from August 1983 to May 1985.

He was appointed as a Magistrate in the Rivers State Judiciary on May 10, 1985, and rose to the top.

He was appointed Acting Chief Registrar of the High Court of Rivers State in May 1998 and became the substantive Chief Registrar on January 1, 1999.

He was sworn in as a Judge of the High Court of Rivers State on April 23, 2002.

Amadi was sworn in as the Chief Judge of Rivers State on May 26, 2021, becoming the 9th Chief Judge in the history of the state’s judiciary. In this capacity, he is the Chairman of the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission.

He has held several leadership and committee positions.

He has also been chairman of the Rivers State Local Government Election Appeals Tribunal (2008 and 2018); and chairman of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the 2018 attack on the Rivers State Judiciary complex.

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