Kogi Chief Judge Asks 17 New Notaries To Earn Public Trust

The chief judge of Kogi State, Justice Josiah Majebi, has sworn-in 17 newly appointed notaries public and charged them to uphold the dignity, integrity and public-trust of their new office.

According to Saqeeb Saeed, the chief information officer High Court of Justice, the ceremony which held at the judiciary headquarters in Lokoja, the state capital, followed the appointment of the legal professionals by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun. They were appointed pursuant to the Notaries Public Act, 2023.

Delivering his address after administering oath on them, the chief judge congratulated them and described their appointment as a significant milestone in their professional careers. He commended the CJN for their new designation and noted that the occasion marked a moment of pride for the state’s justice delivery system, their families and the legal profession in general.

He emphasized the strategic role of Notaries Public within Nigeria’s legal framework, noting that the office is statutorily grounded, judicially recognized and closely linked to the administration of justice. He noted that under the Notaries Public Act, Notaries are empowered to perform public legal acts, including administering oaths, taking affidavits and declarations, authenticating signatures, notarizing legal and corporate documents and certifying documents for use both within and outside Nigeria.

He further stressed that the Act designates every Notary Public as an officer of the Supreme Court of Nigeria with notarial acts carrying a presumption of regularity and enhanced evidential value in judicial proceedings.

While congratulating the appointees, the chief judge also reminded them on their expected ethical conduct. He drew their attention to the disciplinary provisions of the Act which he said empowers the Supreme Court to sanction any Notary Public found to have certified false statements, authenticate forged documents or abused notarial authority. Such misconduct, he added, could attract professional sanctions and criminal liability.

In his remarks earlier, the state’s attorney general and commissioner for Justice, Muizudeen Yunus Abdallahi, SAN, appreciated the CJN and the Chief Judge for their leadership roles just as he congratulated the appointees for their added feather. He advised them to hold on firmly to the virtues of the office as he also vouched for their character and integrity while  celebrating their number which he said was unprecedented for 17 Notaries Public to be appointed for the state at once.