From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Suspended Magistrates in the Ondo State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) have chastised Acting Chief Judge of the State, Justice O O Akeredolu, accusing her of bias and professional misconduct.
The 30 concerned magistrates, in a statement issued by Mr Gbenga Adeyemi, described their suspension as illegal and said it fell short of global practice in the judiciary.
The statement reads: “It should be noted that at the time the suspension letter was served on us, there was no constituted Judicial Service Commission.
“It is good to inform the general public that at the end of the plenary session on September 22, 2017, the Ondo State Judicial Service Commission came up with an advertisement informing the general public about the vacant positions of magistrates and senior registrars (to function as staff attorneys); this advertisement was not directed to the suspended magistrates.
“Till date, we are yet to hear from the said plenary session. We neither heard nor received any other letter from the Ondo State Judicial Service Commission determining our position regarding the suspension. This is unfair and unjust with most of us having spent over five years as magistrates, and our appointments confirmed by the state government.
“Some have taken promotional examinations and have been promoted while others are awaiting confirmation, having spent close to two years without any misconduct.
“All these appointments are already gazzeted by the Ondo State House of Assembly in the appropriate years . It is worthy of note to also draw your attention to the known fact that suspension is a disciplinary action against judicial officer(s) for misconduct, and none of us has ever, at any point in time, been alleged with any judicial misconduct to warrant any form of suspension.
“This suspension in question is being treated as dismissal by the Ondo State Judicial Service Commission, as our names have been removed from the payroll, thereby, denying us our wardrobe allowances for the year 2017, and imprest for the month of August, which we are entitled to; and the said allowances were paid wickedly the same day the suspension letters were served on us, which we believe was converted, having worked earnestly from the month of January 2017, till September 15, 2017, when the suspension letters were served on us,” the statement added.
The magistrates alleged Justice Akeredolu of disrespect to decorum and reasoning, just as they accused her of intimidating judiciary workers in the state.
“The special hatred she has for magistrates is second to non. In the light of the above, we appeal to all who care about the sanctity and sanity within the judiciary, to, as a mater of urgency, rescue the Ondo State judiciary from the claws of the acting chief judge, who is bent on rubbishing the judiciary.
“It is saddening that a chief judge can suspend legally sworn-in magistrates with a caption ‘perceived irregularity and lack of due process’,” the statement added.
The state government had, through the JSC, suspended some judiciary staff in the state, including magistrates and registrars, over alleged irregularities in their appointments.