Osun Legislative Rascality, Executive Recklessness, Impunity And Earlier Judiciary Tarciturnity – By David Waterpath

Borrowing a leaf from functionality theory of social change as postulated by Karl Marx, which likens society to a human body, each part is like an organ. Individual parts can’t survive on their own. Relating this to governance implies that individual organ of government can inter relate or operate independently. Moreso, the essence of the principle of separation of powers in governance is to prevent lawlessness, anarchy, recklessness and impunity.

In the light of the above, constitution and existing laws of any land are the major watchdogs of the functions of individual organ of government as rights and privileges of the organs of government are clearly spelt out in the Constitution on the one hand and can be clearly interpreted in law on the other hand.

Musing on the above brief insight on rights and privileges of organs of government and the current actions of the Osun State House of Assembly over the purported suspension or “step aside” of the state Chief Judge, Justice Adepele Ojo, one can describe the action as nothing more than legislative misplacement of priorities borne out of misinformation and executive abuse of privilege borne out of impunity.

Before the concorted approval of the resolution of the Osun State House of Assembly asking the State Chief Judge, Adepele Ojo to step aside pending investigation of series of allegations against her, there had been earlier call from different quarters, including Civil Society Organisations alleging governor Adeleke-led administration of plotting to remove the embattled Chief Judge who will be retiring soon but many loyalists to governor Adeleke debunked all these, describing the outburst as mere rumour and conspiracy even as they affirmed in their own words that the appointment, discipline, and even sack or otherwise, of the Chief Judge solely rest on the National Judicial Council (NJC), a body that has the exclusive authority over the affairs of the judiciary.

One of those that debunked the earlier outburst on the alleged plot to suspend the Chief Judge was a Special Assistant to governor Adeleke, who is by name Sarafa lbrahim. In his write up, he went ahead to accuse a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Yomi Aliu, of trying to create false impression that Governor Adeleke is after the Chief Justice for sentencing Rahmon Adedoyin, the proprietor of Hilton Hotel, to death over role in Adegoke’s murder.

Quoting verbatim the first paragraph in his write up titled “ADEGOKE: THE SALIENT POINTS THAT GAVE AWAY THE LIES AGAINST ADELEKE, he wrote “In recent times, there has been a repeated attempts to mislead the public about the relationship of the Adeleke administration and the judiciary, mischievously using the Timothy Adegoke’s murder case as a launchpad. By inventing lies and outright falsehood, some mischievous elements tried to paint a picture that suggested that Governor Ademola Adeleke is trying to subvert the course of justice”. His words.

Furthermore, he served the civil Society Organisations their own portion in his defense as he wrote ” This warp notion was what a bunch of scavenger posing as civil society group tried to breathe a life into during its recent campaign of falsehood. They regurgitate the same foul logic in what is clearly a hatchet job to disparage the administration of Governor Adeleke and feed the public with patently false information about the government. Just like Aliu, they allege, even without any evidence, that Governor Adeleke is making a move against the Chief Judge of the state”

The state Commissioner for information and public enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, spokesperson to the governor, Olawale Rasheed and others were not left out among those that reduced the allegations to figment of imagination by frivolous elements. But after all the corrosive attempts to thrash all allegations on the plot to remove the CJ, can one term this a surprise now that the oscillating pendulum on the plot has finally been pegged and turned out to be true with the purported house resolution which suspended the CJ and the purported approval of the resolution by the Governor who immediately directed his deputy to perform swearing-in ceremony for a new Acting Chief Judge of the State, Justice Olayinka Afolabi as stated in hillarious press releases.

The state executive and its legislative arm can not claim ignorance of what the laws and constitutions say on the process of removing, suspending or sacking of a state chief judge but out of impunity, rascality and sheer recklessness decided to ridicule, molest or taunt the judiciary and the people of the state with the steps taken on the issue.

As it stands, is it still a smack delusion for anyone to accuse the same government of trying to undermine the judiciary or a rumour purporting that Governor Adeleke is intending to grant pardon to someone?

The issue of “true or false” on the allegations levied against the CJ can only be established by the appropriate Judicial Commission but considering roles of a house of assembly on the CJ’s removal, a pertinent question here remains, were the stipulations of the laws followed?

Similarly, just few days ago, the state government announced a card carrying member of the people’s Democratic party, PDP, Hashim Abioye as the chairman of the state independent electoral commission, before his new appointment, Hashim Abioye was serving under the government of Adeleke and despite public outcry on his latest appointment, the government went ahead, out of impunity, and swore him in by the same house of assembly as early as possible on that fateful day.

With the back and forth and series of press releases by the information managers of the Adeleke-led administration to clear the chameleon mess which it had stepped on and got the house of assembly enmeshed with, the integrity and knowledge in legislative rudiments of the members of the house of assembly are already in question. The house comprises virtually vibrant youths, save an elderly opposition member, and led by a youth as the speaker and are expected to set outstanding records and legacies in terms of legislation in the country but with their outputs so far, they themselves can easily adjudge their performances and let me not be the one to reveal the “unimaginable nomenclature” that they have been tagged, particularly from professional quarters because l believe it will definitely get to their hearing.

The current situation and the defensive prevarication that engulfed it have clearly shown that the office of a commissioner for information is not to be occupied by a jester or a garrulous personality with mere combative linguistic bluntness, the office requires sagacity, patience and meticulousness far more than just the ability to talk, same goes for the office of a spokesperson to a public figure.

Nevertheless, with modesty and without any act of mockery or any form of ridicule, it is quite awesome that the state commissioner of information on behalf of governor Adeleke has corrected the public wrong impression that the house has goofed on the one hand and, on the other hand, that the governor has not ridiculed the judiciary nor defy any court order in all his actions on the matter.

Moreso, he went ahead to clear the air that the CJ matter was forwarded to the NJC but did not specify actual time when it was forwarded though he might not deliberately dodge this. I wish to leave you with two paragraphs in the press release he put up to buttres the aforementioned, the honorary commissioner wrote “To ensure there is no vacuum, the Governor appointed an Acting Chief Judge, as prescribed by the Constitution in a situation like this”. Another paragraph, “We want to put it on record that the Governor is a law-abiding person and will not do anything to compromise the rule of law”. He so submitted.