Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, said on Tuesday that his administration would work with the judiciary to bring about the needed reforms that will make Oyo State greater.
The Governor, who stated this while inaugurating the Stateโs Judicial Service Commission, maintained that the commission had the mandate to fast-track the judicial system in the State by ensuring the quick dispensation of justice and the independence of the judicial arm of government.
A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that Governor Makinde made the declaration at the Executive Council Chambers of the Governorโs Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
The Governor urged the commission, which had as its members the Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Muntar Abimbola (chairman); the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Professor Oyelowo Oyewo; the President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Eni Esan; Mr. Lateef Adetunji Adedigba; Mr Kehinde Alade; Mr Yusuf Olatunji; Mr Adedigba Wahab and Mrs Medinat Akanbi (secretary), to โget straight to the tasks.โ
He said: โI am always delighted to perform ceremonial functions, especially the ones that work to strengthen democracy. For me, the most beautiful part of democracy is checks and balances provided by each arm of the government. So, we are here today to inaugurate and swear in the Oyo State Judicial Service Commission.
This has just been done. This is in line with the provision of Chapter 6, Section 197, subsection 1(c) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, which states that โthere shall be each state of the federation a state judicial service commission.โ
The Governor added: โThis commission has an important mandate, which borders on activities to ensure the independence of the judiciary and the quick dispensation of justice. For the benefit of non-legal minds here, we have heard before now about a legal maxim which goes thus: justice delayed is justice denied, which basically means that if a wrong is not corrected within a reasonable time, it may not have been well corrected at all. The Bible also has a version for this and it records that when a sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong.
Governor Makinde added that the commission is to appoint judges and to see to the promotion and disciplinary control of judicial and non-judicial staff members, among other tasks.
He said: โThe members of the commission are to appoint judges. They are also expected to see to the promotion and disciplinary control of judicial and non-judicial staff members. It is my belief that with this inauguration, members of the commission will get straight to this task so that we can get our judicial system working faster.
