Groups clash over Osun judge’s call for Aregbesola’s impeachment

The Osun Civil Societies Coalition and the Democratic Socialist Movement have expressed disagreement over the propriety or otherwise of the call by Justice Folahanmi Oloyede on the House of Assembly to impeach Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

Justice Oloyede had cited the governor’s inability to pay workers’ salaries for over seven months as one of her reasons for her call for Aregbesola’s removal.

The two groups expressed divergent views in separate statements in Osogbo on Tuesday.

While the OCSC in a statement signed by its Chairman, Waheed Lawal, and Secretary, Adebayo Bello, said that it had petitioned the National Judicial Council to investigate the judge, the DSM said Oloyede had done nothing wrong and she should be commended for her courage.

The Osun State Coordinator of the DSM, Mr. Alfred Adegoke, and Secretary, Mr. Kola Ibrahim, in their statement, said the judge’s petition just stated what was already known to the people of the state.

The OCSC stated that the judge had brought the judiciary into ridicule by dabbling into partisan politics, while stating that her allegations against the governor were unfounded.

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The letter partly read, “It behoves us to say that the words and language in the petition are unbecoming, maladroit and ungainly for the high standard of conduct expected of any judicial officer in this country.

“The magnitude of impropriety, of the form, dimension and concealed message of the petition violates every ethical standard devoted to the status of a judicial officer.

“If appropriate action was not meted on her (Justice Folahanmi) a floodgate will be opened and every willing and available judicial officer would soon become an instrument of use for the purpose of partisan politics.”

The OCSC noted that the words employed by the judge were meant to incite members of the public against Aregbesola.

The group added that the judge’s action would open a floodgate of misuse of position by some judges if Oloyede was not sanctioned by the NJC.

But the DSM alleged that the Aregbesola’s administration plunged the state into the current financial crisis because of the reckless spending by the governor.