The call by Justice Folahanmi Oloyede for the Osun state House of Assembly to proceed with the impeachment of Governor Rauf Aregbesola is generating trouble as two groups, the Osun Civil Societies Coalition(OCSC) and the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) are set to lock horns.
Justice Oloyede cited the governor’s inability to pay workers’ salaries for over seven months as one of the reasons why Aregbesola should be removed, The Punch reports.
The two groups expressed different views on the propriety of the judge’s call, in separate statements in Osogbo on Tuesday.
In a statement issued by the OCSC chairman, Waheed Lawal, and secretary, Adebayo Bello, said that it had petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate the judge, while the DSM said Oloyede had done nothing wrong and she should be commended for her courage.
The Osun state coordinator of the DSM, Alfred Adegoke, and secretary, Kola Ibrahim, in their statement, said the judge’s petition just stated what was already known to the people of the state.
The OCSC is of the view that the judge had brought the judiciary into ridicule by dabbling into partisan politics, while stating that her allegations against the governor were unfounded and baseless.
“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 asserted in their letter.
The OCSC statement further stressed that the choice of words used by the judge was capable of citing members of the public against Aregbesola.
The group further claimed that if the NJC does not reprimand the judge’s action it might led to other judges misusing their position.
However, the DSM said that the Aregbesola administration’s reckless spending had caused the state’s current financial crisis.
