The protest against Osun State Chief Judge, Adepele Ojo, by members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria in Osun State continued on Tuesday.
The Chief Registrar of the state High Court, Mr. Ishola Omisade, appeared before the House of Assembly Committee on Judiciary investigating the allegations against the Chief Judge.
Omisade was escorted to the Assembly by some magistrates on Tuesday afternoon as lawmakers initiated a probe into the allegations.
Around 12 staff members of the high court working in the Affidavit Office and Salary Section were also observed at the Assembly. As of 4.30 pm, the staff were still being attended to by the lawmakers.
When contacted for details on the interaction, the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Osun Assembly, Tiamiyu Olamide, declined to comment. When asked if the Chief Registrar and other staff appeared before the House, Tiamiyu stated, “Some people appeared and more will appear, but I don’t know their designations and where they are from. The committee is working round the clock to complete the investigation within the period given to them by the House of Assembly.”
Meanwhile, for the second day running, the leadership of the JUSUN in the state paralyzed activities at the state High Court in Osogbo, preventing movement onto the premises of the court. Gbenga Eludire, the JUSUN Chairman in the state, stated that the union will be meeting with some judges on Wednesday, expressing hope for a positive outcome regarding the union’s demands.
On another front, members of the dissolved Osun State Judicial Service Commission alleged that Governor Ademola Adeleke sacked them to facilitate the removal of the Chief Judge. They described their removal before the expiration of their five-year tenure as “an act of executive recklessness.”
The group emphasized the government’s focus on the Chief Judge over a N5m graft claim and questioned the government’s authority to investigate and punish a Chief Judge. The state government’s response awaits the court outcome.
