The Osun State House of Assembly has reaffirmed its commitment to ridding the judiciary in the state of corruption.
The Assembly also insisted that its resolution for the Chief Judge, CJ, of the state, Justice Oyebola Adepele Ojo, to step aside was in line with the natural rule of fairness and transparency.
The House made this disclosure on Wednesday when it received members of the Judicial Service Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, at the Assembly complex.
The JUSUN members were in the Assembly in continuation of their protest against the embattled CJ and her management of the state’s judiciary.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, Kanmi Ajibola, who addressed the protesting judicial workers on behalf of the House, said the legislature’s actions were geared towards cleaning the judiciary of corruption in order to restore confidence of the people.
Ajibola dismissed as unfounded insinuations in some quarters that the steps taken on the CJ were motivated by political interests.
He pointed out that the lawmaking-arm of government has a duty imposed on it by the Constitution to exercise oversight functions on the two other arms of government.
“We appreciate your presence here. And there is a committee sitting on some petitions, which we are members. For that reason, you find us to lead what will be said on this platform,” he noted.
“But let me state clearly, we received some petitions against the CJ, and there are reports accompanying those petitions that if the CJ is allowed into her office, that there are some documents that will be tampered with, that will distort the investigation.
“And on this note, the people that brought petitions, they are entitled to fair hearing. The CJ, whom petition was brought against is also entitled to fair hearing. But to balance justice with fair hearing in this case, the House sat and decided that while this investigation is on, and for the security of documents which go into the foundation of the case we are having before us, the CJ should step aside.”
Speaking earlier, the JUSUN members, led by their chairman, Oluwagbemiga Eludire, said they were at the Osun Assembly to enlist the support of the legislative branch of government in saving them from unfair treatment by the embattled CJ.
While detailing several cases of abuse of office and disregard for their rights as workers by the CJ, Eludire explained that the CJ forced herself into the High Court Complex on Wednesday morning with the support of the police, who sprayed teargas and shot sporadically at JUSUN members who had picketed her office since Monday.
