By John Dike
The Coalition of Civil Society groups in Osun State has warned Governor Ademola Adeleke against any attempt to remove the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Adebola Adepele-ojo.
The group described the move as illegal amounting to interference of judiciary by the Executive arms of the government.
At a press conference jointly addressed by Ayodeji Ologun, Osun Masterminds, Emmanuel Olowu, Committee for Defense of Human Rights (CDHR), Ismaheel Adedokun, Dialogue 360 and Wole Folaranmi, Vice Chairman, OSCSC, the groups warned against impending consequence should the government go ahead to remove the State CJ Ojo
“This move is particularly troubling as it appears to be a reprisal against the Chief Judge for her principled stand against attempts to manipulate the judiciary in the state.
“The independence of the Judiciary is a cornerstone of any democratic society, and any attempt to undermine or interfere with the judiciary compromises the very foundation of the rule of law.
“The Chief Judge, in her capacity, has a constitutional duty to uphold justice and ensure the fair and impartial administration of the law. Her commitment to these principles should be celebrated, not met with attempts at removal for political reasons.
“As Civil Society Organizations, we are deeply concerned about the implications of this action on the integrity of the judiciary in Osun State. The judiciary plays a crucial role in maintaining the checks and balances essential to a well-functioning democracy. Any interference in its operations erodes public trust and undermines the constitutional framework that guarantees the separation of powers.
“We hereby call on Governor Ademola Adeleke to respect the independence of the judiciary and immediately cease any attempts to remove the Chief Judge based on her principled stance. The judiciary must be allowed to operate without fear of reprisal or political interference, ensuring that justice is served impartially and without bias.
Similarly ,the groups condemned the appointment of Hashim Abloye, as the Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), saying it was disgusting to appoint a Card-carrying member of PDP to occupy such an independent office.
Reacting, the state government declared that it was unaware of any plot against the state Chief Judge, even as it affirms its commitment to due process and stipulated regulations across the arms of government.
The commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, in a statements said: “The State Governor , Senator Ademola Adeleke and his team are preoccupied with delivering on good governance to the citizenry with no time for diversionary conducts.
“The government also wishes to state that the constitution and the state laws clearly spell out responsibilities of state officials. The same laws lay out rules for accountability and transparency across government sectors. The Governor and all government officials whether elected or appointed into any arm of government are not immune from the accountability process.
“The Governor is therefore not in a position to stop the legislature from doing her statutory job and neither can the Governor hamstring the judiciary in the performance of its duties.”
