Hadizatu Mustapha, a lawyer from Borno State and former aide to Ali Modu Sheriff, the factional chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has been named as the new chief registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Justice Walter Onnoghen, the chief justice of Nigeria, approved the appointment and announced it in a press statement on Sunday, June 4, 2017.
The chief justice of Nigeria indicated that Mustapha will assume office on 1st July, 2017 to replace the current chief registrar, Mr. Ahmad Gambo Saleh.
Onnoghen revealed that Saleh will on the same day resume in his new position as the Secretary of the National Judicial Council (NJC).
Mustapha’s appointment to the apex court was contained in a Letter of Offer of Appointment dated May 31 and signed by the Secretary of the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC), Mrs. Bilkisu Bashir.
According to the CJN, “Mrs. Mustapha emerged from a strong field of six applicants interviewed by the FJSC on May 30”.
Until her appointment, she, was the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
She was born in Gwoza, Borno State on 8th August 1961,Mustapha holds a Bachelor of Law (LL.B) degree from the University of Maiduguri which she earned in 1984 before attending the Nigerian Law School, Victoria Island, Lagos, for her Barrister at Law (BL) programme in 1985.
“After her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in 1986, Mrs. Mustapha joined the Borno State Ministry of Justice, Maiduguri, in 1987as State Counsel 11 before rising to State Counsel 1 (1990-1993); Senior State Counsel (1993-1996); Assistant Director (1996-1999), and Acting Director, Citizens Rights Department (1999-2000).
“Between 2000 and 2004, Hadizatu Mustapha was the chief enterprise officer of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPE), Abuja, where she was the acting secretary to three committees: Policy and Monitoring Committee, Transactions Marketing Committee, and Industrial Manufacturing Committee,” the statement said.
“In 2004, Mrs. Hadizatu Mustapha returned to the Borno State Ministry of Justice as the acting director of public prosecution before joining the Borno State Government as senior special assistant on administration to the governor [Ali Modu Sheriff].
“She was then appointed director of legal services to the Borno State Independent Electoral Commission in 2007.
“After a four-year stint in the private sector, Mrs. Mustapha joined the Sharia Court of Appeal in the Federal Capital Territory in 2011 as the deputy chief registrar, a position she maintained till her current appointment as the chief registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
“The Chief Justice of Nigeria wishes Mrs. Hadizatu Mustapha well in her new appointment at a time he is bent on reforming the Judiciary as the third arm of government”, the statement further read.
