The Oyo State Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, on Monday advised judges and lawyers to be upright in the discharge of their duties and be guided by the Nigerian Constitution.
Lawal gave the advice during the celebration of the 2024/2025 Legal Year of the state judiciary at the Oja-Oba Central Mosque in Ibadan.
Prayers were also offered for the commencement and success of the new legal year.
Christians from the Bar and Bench had on the other hand converged at the Cathedral Church of St James the Great at Oke-Bola in Ibadan for the same purpose.
While speaking at the Oja-Oba event, Lawal said judges and lawyers should be constantly guided by the Constitution and the fear of God in the dispensation of justice
“The executive arm of government in the state will address the challenges facing the state’s judiciary,” he said, congratulating the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Iyabo Yerima, and all the other judges in the state’s judiciary.
In his remarks, Mr Ibrahim Lawal, Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ibadan Branch, said the state’s judiciary was facing the problem of having an inadequate number of judges.
He appealed to the state government to appoint more judges for quick dispensation of justice.
“We also crave for a more cooperative attitude from the judiciary workers in this new legal year,” the NBA branch chairman said.
He appealed to NBA members to act professionally always, and be ready to defend and protect the heritage of excellence which the profession’s forebears and living legends were reputed for.
In his sermon at the occasion, an Islamic scholar, Alhaji Kamal Usamah, said what would make life better for all Nigerians was justice.
He attributed the increasing rate of insecurity in Nigeria to injustice.
“For peace and progress to reign in the society, the judges must be just in the delivery of justice.
“Lawyers need to be talked to on what God says, coupled with what the Constitution and laws of Nigeria say as well,” Usamah said.