Mariam Mukhtar nominated CJN

Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar is set to become the first woman chief judicial officer of the country following her nomination by President Jonathan to the Senate for confirmation as Chief Justice of Nigeria.In a letter to Senate President David Mark dated July 3, Jonathan asked the Senate to approve the nomination of Justice Mukhtar to replace outgoing CJN Justice Dahiru Musdapher.'I have the honour to forward the nomination of Honourable Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, CON, CFR for confirmation as Chief Justice of Nigeria. It is my hope that this request will receive the usual expeditious attention of the distinguished Senate,' said the president's letter, which was presented on the floor of the Senate yesterday.Jonathan said he was making the nomination under Section 231 Sub-section (1) of the 1999 Constitution which gives the president the powers to appoint a Chief Justice of Nigeria, acting on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council and subject to confirmation by the Senate.If her appointment is confirmed, Justice Aloma Mukhtar will serve for just over two years before she attains her mandatory retirement age of 70 in November 2014.Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, who hails from Kano, was born on November 20, 1944. She attended St. George Primary School, Zaria; St. Batholomew School, Wusasa, Zaria; Rossholme School for Girls, East Brent, Somersets; England, Reading Technical College, Reading, United Kingdom; and Weldon College of Law.She was called to the English Bar in absentia in November 1966, and called to the Nigerian Bar on June 26, 1967.She worked as Pupil State Counsel, Ministry of Justice, Northern Nigeria, 1967; Office of the Legal Draftsman, Interim Common Services Agency; Magistrate Grade I, North Eastern State Government, 1971; Chief Registrar, Kano State Government Judiciary, 1973; Judge of the High Court of Kano State, 1977-1987; Justice of the Court of Appeal, 1987-1993; Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, 1993-2005; and Justice of the Supreme Court, June 2005 to date.Two Supreme Court justices namedJonathan also yesterday asked the Senate to confirm the appointments of two justices of the Court of Appeal, Justices Kumai Bayang Akaahs (North-West) and Stanley Shenko Alagoa (South-South) as justices of the Supreme Court.'These appointments have been necessitated by the impending retirement from service of Hon. Justice Dahiru Musdapher, Chief Justice of Nigeria, and Hon. Justice F.F. Tabai,' he said in another letter to the Senate President, presented yesterday in the Senate.CJNs in historyAdetokumbo Ademola 1958'1972Taslim Olawale Elias 1972'1975Darnley Arthur Alexander 1975'1979Atanda Fatai Williams 1979'1983George Sodeinde Sowemimo 1983'1985Ayo Gabriel Irikefe 1985'1987Mohammed Bello 1987'1995Muhammad Lawal Uwais 1995'2006Salihu Moddibo Alfa Belgore 2006'2007Idris Legbo Kutigi 2007'2009Aloysius Iyorgyer Katsina-Alu 2009'2011Dahiru Musdapher 2011-to date
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