A Civil Society Organization, the Osun Masterminds, has called on the State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to immediately reverse the removal of the Osun State Chief Judge, Justice Oyebola Adepele Ojo, and restore her into office.
TOM in a statement during its November State of the State address by its Executive Director, Prof Wasiu Oyedokun Alli in Osogbo, the state capital on Friday, appealed to Osun stakeholders to quickly call the Governor and the House of Assembly to order, order to forestall a breakdown of constitutionality in the state.
The group added that if the sacked Chief Judge is not restored to her office, Osun will be headed for a dark abyss which should be risen against.
Premium Politics reported that Justice Adepele Ojo was sacked by the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke on Thursday.
The sack, according to a statement signed by the spokesperson to the governor, Olawale Rasheed, followed a resolution by the Osun State House of Assembly on Thursday.
The statement noted that the Osun Assembly also directed the governor to swear in Justice Olayinka David Afolabi as the acting Chief Judge of the state.
However, there was a purported report on Friday, saying the governor had denied sacking the Osun CJ.
Reacting to the development, TOM said: “The news of the House of Assembly’s resolution to remove the Chief Judge and ask the Governor to swear in a replacement, in acting capacity, left us dazed.
“This is because we believed that the 8th Assembly, populated by true youths, should be looking to set positive standards for legislation, to convince everyone that indeed, youths can lead.
“Unfortunately, the Osun State House of Assembly is quickly turning itself into not just a rubber-stamp Assembly, but a willing tool in the hands of the Executive, used to legitimize any and every illegality that the Executive wants to perpetuate.
“We call on all men and women of goodwill, who have the love of the State at heart, to quickly call the Governor and the House of Assembly to order, to forestall a breakdown of constitutionality in our dear State.
“The removal of the Chief Judge must be reversed if we are to remain a State governed by laws and not the fiats of just a few privileged individuals. Osun State should never become a lawless State where we make decisions just to satisfy the whims and caprices of some persons without any regard for the provisions of our laws and our constitution.”
While warning against the perceived illegality in the sack of the CJ, the group noted that such acts tended to escalate into unrest and threaten the peace of the state.
Also revealing that it had reliable information of clandestine plans to physically assault Justice Adepele Ojo if she showed up at work, TOM warned those behind it to shelve the plan.
TOM however warned Justice Olayinka David Afolabi not to allow himself to be used as a tool to denigrate the judicial institution in the state.
Meanwhile, it gathered that the swearing-in of Justice David Olayinka Afolabi as the Acting Chief Judge of Osun State did not hold as planned on Friday.
