Lagos breaks female dominance in judiciary, names Alogba CJ

• Fasehun’s family lauds democracy heroes, charges Sanwo-Olu on state’s progress
Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s appointment of Justice Kazeem Alogba as the 17th Chief Judge (CJ) of Lagos State has broken the tradition of women’s dominance at the top echelon of the state’s judiciary.

Before Alogba’s appointment, Justice Inumidun Enitan Akande, who became CJ in September 2009 was the third female chief judge after Justice Victoria Sotuminu and the late Justice Rosaline Omotosho, who emerged the first female CJ in the country on April 12, 1995.

Akande passed the baton to another female Chief Judge, Justice Ayotunde Phillips in 2012 who in turn handed over to Justice Funmilayo Atilade, another female judge in August 2014.

Atilade handed over to yet another female judge, Justice Opeyemi Oke, whose disengagement from the state judiciary matured yesterday Monday, June 10, 2019.

But Justice Alogba’s appointment will break the female dominance momentarily as he (Alogba) remains the only male judge in the chain.

Justice Alogba, who has several other female judges behind him, may also likely be succeeded by one of them.

Announcing his appointment, which takes effect from (today) Tuesday June 11, 2019, Sanwo-Olu, in a statement issued by his Deputy Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile, yesterday disclosed that the appointment of the Acting Chief Judge was to prevent a vacuum in the state’s judiciary.

The statement revealed that Alogba would be sworn-in on Thursday, June 13, 2019 in the Governor’s Office at 10.00am.

Prior to his appointment Justice Alogba was the most senior of the 58 justices in the State Judiciary next to the out-going Chief Judge, and had chaired the committee on review of High Court Civil Procedure Rules, which culminated in the new High Court of Lagos (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019 that came into effect on January 31, 2019.

Meanwhile, as Nigeria marks Democracy Day tomorrow, the family of late Dr. Frederick Isiotan Fasehun, has said it was unfortunate that Nigeria is marking June 12 anniversary in memory of MKO Abiola, who should have been allowed to rule the country after winning the 1993 presidential election.

The wife of founder, Oodua people’s Congress (OPC), Iyabo Fasehun, told The Guardian that: “Abiola was denied victory 26 years ago by desperate men who will never allow Nigeria to experience progress.

Her words: “It is illogical to expect something good out of a society driven by selfishness. If people in power are constantly thinking about what they can gain for themselves without caring about the good of others, what good can come out of such a society?

“We can only begin to experience a turnaround from this present reality if we change our thinking and behaviour on the path of the leaders and the people.

“Democracy as we all know it to be is a government centred around the people. But government of today is centred on self. Progress can never come that way.”

While congratulating the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on his electoral victory, she urged the governor not to engage in politics of sentiments for which most of the present leaders are known.

She advised the governor to pursue progress with a passion to serve so that Lagos could continue in its status as a pacesetter for other states.