News Obiaks News

A High Court Judge in Osun, Justice Folahanmi Oloyede, has filed a motion in an Osogbo High Court, challenging the Osun State House of Assembly's handling of a petition she forwarded to it. It would be recalled that this same Judge had earlier accused the governor of Osun State of mismanaging funds of Osun State and she had forwarded her petition to the EFCC with demand that the governor, Rauf Aregbesola be investigated.

It would be recalled also that she was invited by the EFCC on the same issue, but the actual outcome of her EFCC visit was not made public. Later, the Osun State Assembly had set up a panel of enquiry to investigate the authenticity of her accusation against the governor. The panel was made up of only APC lawmakers and this had brought to question the reliability of the said panel. As many had feared, the panel concluded with a report of no wrong doing against the governor.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Justice Oloyede had petitioned the assembly, calling for the impeachment of Gov. Rauf Aregbesola and his Deputy, Mrs Grace Laoye-Tomori, over alleged financial misconduct.

In the petition, she called on the lawmakers to examine and investigate the governor and his deputy over the allegations. The House, on receipt of the petition, set up an Ad hoc/Fact-finding Committee with Speaker Najeem Salam giving the committee one week to submit its report.

The House later considered the report of the panel, dismissed Oloyede's petition and recommended sanctions against her. Dissatisfied, Oloyede, through her lawyer, Lekan Ogunlesi (SAN), on Thursday, August 27, filed a motion on notice before the court.

Her lawyer stated that his client is ready to challenge the illegality of the action of the House of Assembly and the way in which they handled the petition she submitted. Lukman Ogunseitan, who held brief for Ogunlesi, listed the respondents to include the Speaker, the investigating committee Chairman, Adegboye Akintunde, six legislators and Clerk of the House.

Also joined in the suit is the Osun Judicial Service Commission. Oloyede also filed a motion ex-parte asking the court to grant her permission to institute a legal action against the state lawmakers over their recommendation that she should be sanctioned by the National Judicial Commission (NJC).

In her application, she asked that the recommendations of the ad-hoc committee be quashed and that their actions be declared illegal, unconstitutional, null and void. Ruling on the application, Justice Adeyinka Aderibigbe granted all the five prayers sought by the applicant and ordered that the 11 respondents listed in the matter be served, while the case was adjourned till September 3.

It would be recalled that Osun State had been involved in financial mess lately, with the governor not being able to pay workers' salaries. Many in the state believed that the failure of the governor boiled down to his mismanagement of state funds and that he would have been able to pay if he had been a better manager.