President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem as the acting president of the Court of Appeal for an initial period of three months, with effect from March 6, 2020, when the incumbent President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, would statutorily retire from service.
Spokesman for the president, Mr. Garba Shehu said in a statement that Dongban-Mensem, who is the next most senior Judge of the Court of Appeal, will be acting pending when a substantive appointment to the position of the President of the Court of Appeal may be made by Buhari, subject to the confirmation of the Senate.
“The President’s approval of the appointment of Justice Mensem, followed the recommendation of the Chief Justice of Nigeria in line with the provisions of Section 238(4) & (5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended,” said Shehu.
Mensem who hails from Shendam local government area of Plateau State got both her LL.B and LL.M degrees from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; was a visiting lecturer on Press Law at the Catholic Media Centre, Kaduna from 1988-1992 and part-time lecturer at the University of Jos between 1989 and 1997.
From 1990-1993, Justice Dongban-Mensem served as deputy chief registrar, superior courts and protocol affairs and was appointed Judge, High Court of Justice, Plateau Judiciary from 1993-1996.
She became the judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) judiciary from 1997-2003.
Dongban-Mensem is an authority in criminal and civil procedure law, taxation and international public finance, public international law, legislative drafting, constitutional and administrative law and international commercial transactions.
As of December 2019, she had over 150 lead and 100 contributory judgements respectively.
After losing her first son, Samson Kwapda’as Dongban, she founded a road safety organisation called Kwapda’as Road Safety Demand (KRSD).
Her leisure is writing, reading, golfing, working with children, women and the elderly.
The judge has four children and two grandchildren.
