The Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS) has written to the National Judicial Council (NJC) requesting for the Certified True Copies of the proceedings and recommendation of the Council in the trial of Hon. Justice Olamide Folahanmi Oloyede of the State High Court, before the Justice Ibrahim N. Auta panel.

According to a statement issued at the weekend by Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, Chairman of the group, CSCEOS recalled that the NJC in its 77th meeting, which held on July 15, 2016, recommended that Honourable Justice Oloyede should be retired compulsorily “for daring to call for thorough and credible investigation into the alleged criminal mismanagement of Osun

State public funds by Mr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola between 2011 and 2015, which made the state to be one of the 27 that could not pay their workers and retirees for about eight months.

According to the copy of the letter dated 15th August, 2016 with the titled, “NJC vs. Hon. Justice Oloyede, Application for CTC of Proceedings and Recommendations” and signed by the group’s Counsel and rights activist, Barrister Kanmi Ajibola, was directed to the Secretary of the Council and also sent to the outgoing Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC) and Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Muhammed Mahmud for his notification and necessary action on the subject matter.

The petition reads in part: “We are Solicitors to the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS), that is, our client, as hereinafter referred to in this letter.

“We have instruction of our client to apply for the Certified True Copies of the proceedings and recommendation of the National Judicial Council in the trial of Hon. Justice Olamide Oloyede of the Osun State.

“Our clients’ members, that is, Messers. Adeniyi Sulaiman, Olusola Olojede, Ebenezer Oladapo, Olukanni Ayodeji and Bishop Oluseun Adeoye took part in the trial as witnesses. We shall pay any required fees for this purpose.”

Sulaiman maintained that the leadership and members of the group have resolved to use the due process of the law and the machinery of justice to challenge what it perceived as illegal, unconstitutional and manipulated 2016 Code of Conduct for Judicial officials, while the 2014 Code was invoked when the purported unsubstantiated offence was committed by the jurist.

The CSCEOS leader said the group decided to take up the fight because it sees Oloyede to be “incorruptible . . . an epitome of justice, humility, courage, beacon of inspiration, respecter of rule of law and friend of the oppressed.”

•Photo shows NJC Chairman, Justice Mahmoud Mohammed.

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