THE Osun State House of Assembly and the counsel for the Chief Judge (CJ) Justice Oyebola Ojo, Oladipo Olasope, SAN, have tangled over allegations of corruption levelled against the embattled CJ and the purported suspension.

The Speaker, Olawale Egbedun, yesterday through his Press Secretary, Olamide Tiamiyu, said the House was exposing corruption as stipulated in sections 128 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution.

He alleged that the CJ diverted funds for state judiciary library, robe allowance of workers worth N5million, suspended judicial workers indiscriminately, diverted their salary, appointed consultant and diverted proceeds that were recovered from the convicted armed robbers of the Ikirun robbery.

Egbedun stressed that “the Osun State House of Assembly is aware of the position of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the decisions of the Supreme Court in various cases stating that the governor of a state and the House of Assembly cannot remove a Chief Judge from office without the participation of the National Judicial Council.

“Therefore, we urge commentators to be cautious in their utterances, as they may convey the misconception that the Osun State House of Assembly has removed or intends to remove the Chief Judge of Osun State without the involvement of the National Judicial Council.”

However, the CJ through her counsel, Olasope, SAN, berated the allegations of the assembly, saying “they are putting the cart before the horse with their approaches.”

He said: “Who are they to be querying the CJ? Disciplining the CJ does not lie with the Osun State House of Assembly; Section 292 of the Constitution is very clear. It is the NJC who can discipline a CJ, not the House of Assembly. So, all those allegations are figments of their own imagination.”

Olasope said: “They have to say something to justify their position and that is what they choose to say. The issue now is that they have come to court and employ the service of a lawyer, who collected service of processes on their behalf this morning in court. That is the point at which we are. So, the case has now been adjourned till December 4. So, we will see how it goes from there.

“They employed just one lawyer, Musftau Adetunbi. They are putting the cart before the horse. After you asked the woman to step aside, you are now bringing up charges and allegations. Why not bring the

allegations first, try her, if you find her guilty, then send it to the NJC and the NJC will now decide.”

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