Says I’m not interested in removing Ondo Chief Judge, Akeredolu clears air
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has denied that the state government has any interest in removing or investigating the state Chief Judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Akeredolu, from office over alleged professional misconduct.
The Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja had barred governor Akeredolu from investigating and removing Justice Akeredolu from office.
Delivering judgement, Justice lnyang Ekwo held that only the National Judicial Council NJC has the statutory power to investigate, suspend or sack a serving judicial officer from office for engaging in an act of judicial misconduct.
It also held that neither the governor, the Attorney General of the state nor the state House of Assembly could exercise such power.
However, in a swift response in Akure, governor Akeredolu said ” The Ondo State Government from the commencement of the said suit in question, did not consider it worthy of any legal efforts.
The governor in a statement signed by his information and Orientation commissioner, Hon Donald Ojogo said ” it was vainly an ego pursuit as far as Government was concerned. In unambiguous terms, the suit was an unnecessary distraction for which no legal representation was made neither on behalf of the Attorney General nor the Government for the period it sufficed.
The statement was entitled “Re- Court bars Ondo Government from probing Chief Judge”
Akeredolu described the suit as “an ego trip which the government refused participation “
“The reasons behind the needless efforts to drag in the Executive Arm of the State Government, particularly Governor Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN into the matter are well noted.
“lt must be stated, however, that, Governor Akeredolu is not only a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria; he is indeed a Life Bencher who had served as a member of the National Judicial Council (NJC).
“He is, therefore, better informed with the procedural processes relating to the removal of a serving Chief Judge of a State hence his directive that the State Government should not participate in the hearing of the needless suit filed by the Chief Judge (CJ) .
“Simply put, the Executive Arm of the Ondo State Government led by Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN at no time had interest whatsoever, in cutting short the tenure of the State CJ.
The governor noted that “If at all, the State Government can only wish the CJ God’s Infinite Grace till August so as to accord her a deserving retirement honour as a Jurist.