Gov. Adeleke dismissed us to pave way for removal of Osun CJ — Ex-Judicial Commission members
Dismissed members of the Osun State Judicial Service commission have stated that the Osun state governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke allegedly dissolved the board of the Commission to pave way for the removal of the embattled Osun Chief Justice, Justice Oyebola Adepele Ojo.
Recall that the State in a circular in October by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Teslim Igbalaye dissolved the board of all statutory commissions in the state.
The affected commissions included the State Civil Service Commission, the Judicial Service Commission, Osun State Independent Electoral Commission and Osun State House of Assembly Service Commission.
In a statement signed by Hon. Rotimi Makinde and Barrister Tomi Olagbaju on behalf of the entire members of the dissolved judicial commission, the disenchanted group explained that the dissolution of the statutory commissions before the end of their five years’ tenure was a product of executive recklessness which should not be enlivened for the sake of commonsense, decency, orderliness and our fledgling democracy.
The group alleged that their commission’s dissolution was politically motivated and had a sinister motive against the Chief Judge of the state, Honourable Justice Adepele Ojo.
According to them, “When the state government could not find the CJ pliable to execute their devious plan and consequently could not find anything incriminating against the CJ, since all approvals from her office to our commission went through due process of law, the Governor believed the best strategy to adopt is to disband us, and bring in docile characters, even when our tenure still remains four years.”
They added that, “It is strange that a government which has become a butt of jokes and comedy in the comity of states over unending financial infraction, recently being its inability to justify the over N130 billion revenue accrued to it in the last one year and failure to account for N10 billion extra budget for food and entertainment inserted in the supplementary budget of the state governor, is the one devoting its energy to sack a Chief Judge over ridiculous and puerile N5m graft claim. Where does the Government derive powers to investigate and punish a Chief Judge? Such powers reside in the National Judicial Council.”
The group equally stated that Governor Adeleke had all along, since his inauguration, stopped the salaries of all the statutory boards in such a reckless manner just as he used the same to lock out some traditional rulers and deprived them of their privileges.
The group finally appealed to the National Judicial Council to pay adequate attention to the management of the judiciary in Osun as they equally appealed to Nigerians and security operatives to hold Governor Adeleke responsible should anything untoward happen to them or any member of their family.
They vouched to fight on until they get justice.
“Our case will be the terminus point to the impunity and illegality being perpetrated by the current government. They must have got away with others, but in our case, we will fight and get the deserving justice,” the statement concluded.
It would be recalled that chairmen and members of the statutory commissions, namely Osun State Judicial Service Commission; Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC); Osun State Civil Service Commission and Osun State House of Assembly Service Commission, dissolved October 30, 2023, had challenged their dissolution at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Ibadan, Oyo State, urging among other reliefs, the court to nullify the dissolution and direct the Osun State Government to stop giving further effect to the purported constitution of the new commissions.
The claimants also prayed the court to ask the state government to pay damages in the sum of N500m
