Osun Judiciary: NJC Saves Justice Adepele Ojo’s Neck, Retains Her As Chief Judge… Justice Falola Forced To Retire

 The Chief Judge of Osun state, Justice Adepele Ojo  ,who had been in the news  since last month, had her neck saved by the National Judicial Council , NJC, on Thursday .

‘Council considered and declined the request of Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun state requesting its permission to swear in the next most senior judge in the state in an acting capacity, following allegations leveled against Hon. Justice Adepele Ojo, Chief Judge, Osun state and the resolution of the State House of Assembly to suspend her.

The Council affirms that Hon. Justice Ojo is still the recognized Chief Judge of Osun state, and would not work on the resolution of a State House of Assembly’ Director of Information, NJC, Adesoji Oye, submitted in a statement he issued in Abuja on Thursday.

The ‘dramatic scenes’ enacted in Osun state since last month with respect to who should head the judicial branch of government in the state had  made the State of the Living Spring to be in the news, the state had actually gotten a great deal of public attention.

It had begun with Governor Ademola Adeleke disclosing that he has approved the resolution of the state House of Assembly asking the Chief Judge ,  Justice Adepele Ojo, to ‘step aside’ whilst carrying out investigation of allegations leveled against her in separate petitions submitted to the parliament which include misconduct, abuse of power, corruption and disregard for rule of law .

 The governor had consequently announced the appointment of Justice Olayinka David Afolabi as acting Chief Judge while adding that arrangements were being made to hold oath-taking ceremony for him the following day.

The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice , Barrister Wole Jimi-Bada  had also submitted that the steps taken by Governor Ademola Adeleke in respect of who should head the state judiciary was not in any way improper or inappropriate.

He also noted that the governor  did not act unjustifiably  adding that he had only done the needful sequel to the resolution of the state House of Assembly while submitting that Justice Adepele Ojo may be reinstated as Chief Judge if her innocence is eventually established.  

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 The governor however made a volte-face two days later with the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment,  Barrister Kolapo Alimi issuing a statement to clarify and assert that at no time was anyone appointed as acting Chief Judge.

Team@orientactualmags.com learned that while Adepele Ojo has been asked to retain her position, her colleague , Justice S. O. Falola was not lucky as the NJC  has recommended that he should be forced to retire.

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He was found guilty of granting a Garnishee Order Absolute against the Polaris Bank for the sum of N283,174,000.00 in a questionable manner.

‘The National Judicial Council headed by  Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON, at its 104th Meeting of  December 6 and 7, 2023 has recommended the compulsory retirement of Hon. Justice S. O. Falola of Osun state High Court from the Bench.

The recommendation was made sequel to the findings of an investigation committee in a petition written against His Lordship by Mr. Dapo Kolapo Olowo and Polaris Bank for granting a Garnishee Order Absolute against the Bank for the sum of N283,174,000.00 questionably and strangely, and endorsement of the order, attaching the account of the Garnishee with another Garnishee and not the account of the  judgment debtor who had the legal obligation to pay the supposed judgment sum.

It further found the conduct of the subject judge traveling to Lagos to visit the counsel for the bank in his chambers on the issue of Garnishee Proceedings unbecoming of the standard expected of a judicial officer’ Soji submitted.

The  NJC , he noted,  has forwarded its recommendations to Governor Ademola Adeleke and asked that Falola should be forced to retire from the bench with immediate effect-Team@orientactualmags.com
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