Osun Assembly dismisses judge’s petition against Aregbesola

Osun state House of Assembly, yesterday threw out the petition of Justice Olamide Folahanmi Oloyede, against Governor Rauf Aregbesola and his deputy, Titi Laoye-Tomori, over allegation of mismanaging the state’s resources.

The assembly also recommended disciplinary action against the judge saying the Judicial Commission should be asked to institute sanctions against Oloyede for her alleged attitude unbefitting of a serving judicial officer.

In unanimous decision after a panel that heard the petition headed by Adegboye Akintunde representing Osogbo constituency submitted its report, the house stated that the petition lacked merit, centred on emotion and did not follow due process.

Oloyede had, in her petition sent to the House of Assembly listed some constitutional breaches allegedly committed by the governor and demanded his investigation and removal from office by the House.

When the judge appeared before the panel by proxy, she had raised the fear that she might not be given a fair hearing following the refusal of the panel that heard the petition to make copy of governor Aregbesola’s response available to her.

The house subsequently set up a seven- member panel chaired by the deputy speaker, Akintunde, to investigate the allegations and report its findings within two weeks.

But the House, after adopting the report of the panel yesterday said the allegations raised by Justice Oloyede in her petition were embodiments of emotions and politics, and aligned itself with the recommendations of the panel that the petition be dismissed.

While presenting the report of the panel to the house earlier, Akintunde said the committee, upon receiving the petition, found failing to meet the demands of the House regarding any petition that would be considered for investigation.

He added that the committee had refrained from dismissing the petition on technical ground so as not to give the assembly away as shielding governor Aregbesola from investigation.

Akintunde further explained that, despite the panel’s magnanimity in allowing the petition to be considered, the petitioner again contrived   Order 26 of Osun State House of Assembly by sending representatives on the day she was invited to appear before the panel.

According to the chairman of the panel, all issues raised in the petition were thrashed one after another, adding that the petitioner could not present any documents to back up her claims.

He said the judge, through her counsel, said she would only appear and present documents when copy of Aregbesola’s response to the petition was given to her.