The Chief Justice of Nigeria(CJN) through the apex body of bencher, the National Judicial Council(NJC) has advised the leadership and members of the civil group, the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State(CSCEOS) to drag the body to the Court of competent jurisdiction for an order on its request for the” Certified
True Copies” of the proceedings and recommendation of the Council in the trial of Hon. Justice Olamide Folahanmi Oloyede of the State High Court, before the Justice Ibrahim N. Auta led panel in 2016.
It would be recalled that the NJC in its 77th meeting, which held on July 15th, 2016, recommended that Honourable Justice Oloyede should be retired compulsorily, for daring to call for thorough and credible investigation into the alleged criminal mismanagement of Osun State Public funds by Mr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola between 2011 and
2015 which made the State to be leading States that could not pay her workers and retirees alike for period of eight (8) to ten (10) months at the material time.
According to the NJC’s Letter dated 23rd of November, 2016 with Reference No:NJC/S.29/HC.OS/16/1/408 which was signed by its Secretary, Danladi Halilu,Esq.,OON on behalf of Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman, National Judicial Council(NJC) and forwarded to the Five(5) members of the Coalition who were witnessed during the
proceedings of the matter.
The NJC’s Letter titled:-“RE: NJC Vs Hon.
Justice Oloyede.Application for CTC of Proceedings and recommendation”, was sent to the Coalition members through their Lawyer, Barrister Kanmi Ajibola and the copy was made available to newsmen on Tuesday, they maintained that the Letter was received lately and the group had concluded arrangement to file a mandamus application before the Federal High Court to get an order, requesting the Certified True Copy (CTC) as being directed by the NJC.
The Letter reads in part; “Reference your letter dated 15th, August, 2016 on the subject matter. I have been directed to inform you that by the practice of Council, on Record of Proceedings or recommendation of Council are released to the Complainant or Petitioner or Subject Judge or Witnesses or any Institution, save by an order of the Court,
please”.
The group through its Lawyer,Barrister Ajibola had earlier sent a letter dated 15th August, 2016 to the Council authority,requesting that “We have instruction of our client to apply for the Certified True Copies of the proceedings and recommendation of the National Judicial Council in the trial of Hon. Justice Olamide Oloyede of the Osun State.
“Our client’s members, that is, Messers. Adeniyi Sulaiman,Olusola Olojede, Ebenezer Oladapo,Olukanni Ayodeji and Bishop Oluseun Adeoye took part in the trial as witnesses. We shall pay any required fees for this purpose”.
Speaking on the development, the leader of the group, Comrade Adeniyi Sulaiman stated that the group was suspecting the National Judicial Council(NJC) of having hidden agenda over the matter and that was why
they were blocking all the ways for the group to get justice for the courageous and incorruptible Justice Folahanmi Oloyede.
The rights activist reiterated the resolve of the group to use the due process of law and the machinery of justice to challenge what it perceived as illegal,illogical,
purported unsubstantiated offence were committed by the jurist.
Sulaiman maintained that it has not been in the lexicon of the group to silence in the face of injustice of this nature, describing incorruptible Oloyede as a epitome of justice, humility, courage, beacon of inspiration, respecter of rule of law and friend of the oppressed, saluting the uncommon courage of Justice Olamide Oloyede who sacrificed her comfort of office to give voice to the poor masses of the State,
He then reiterated that the group would use every democratic means to fight this battle until it gets justice for the incorruptible Justice Oloyede.
