Adeleke not involved in Osun CJ’s travails, says commissioner
Adeleke not involved in Osun CJ’s travails, says commissioner
The Osun State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Mr Wole Jimi-Bada, has exonerated the state governor, Ademola Adeleke, of any involvement in the stepping aside of the former Chief Judge of the state, Mrs Adepele Ojo, which was predicated on a petition that prompted her being asked to step aside from office.
This was disclosed in a statement released Thursday night by Jimi-Bada, stressing that “a strongly worded petition was sent to the State Judicial Service Commission and the State House of Assembly, which led to the hearing and eventual resolution of the dtate House of Assembly to ask the Chief Judge to step aside.
The statement read, “The House further launched an investigation into the allegation contained in the said petition and even summoned the Chief Judge to appear before its investigative committee.”
“As part of its investigation, the House passed a resolution recommending that Adeleke should ask Ojo to step aside and appoint an acting Chief Judge pending the outcome of the investigation by both the House of Assembly and the NJC to which the matter has been referred.”
The statement noted that Adeleke approved the recommendation with a caveat that if the Chief Judge is found to be innocent, she should return to her position.
“Governor Adeleke only acted to ensure that there is no vacuum by appointing an acting Chief Judge as a temporary measure.
“We want to assert that the governor was not the writer of the petition nor is the governor the retinue of persons who provided multiple evidence as regards the conduct of the Chief Judge, as contained in the petition.
“By appointing an acting Chief Judge, the governor only acted to ensure there is no vacuum and there is no tampering with potential evidence while the investigation lasted,” it added.
The PUNCH earlier reported that Adeleke appointed Justice Olayinka Afolabi as the acting Chief Judge of the state with immediate effect, following the approval of the resolution of the House of Assembly.