NJC orders retirement of Oyo CJ, 2 other judges

By Dolapo Ekanade - 03.03.2008

Trouble may be far from over in the Oyo State judiciary as the National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended the immediate retirement of the Chief Judge, Isaiah Olakanmi, and two other judges.

Olakanmi, who was re-appointed last year after the state House of Assembly quashed the termination of his initial appointment by the former governor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, on October 21, 2004, had his salary stopped by the commission, while the former acting Chief Judge, Justice Afolabi Adeniran, and Justice Iyabo Yerima were recommended for retirement from the bench.

Though Adeniran had retired last September, the NJC which presided over petitions filed against him by the Ibadan branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) had the retirement backdated to August 2007.

Yerima’s retirement, according to NJC, should commence with immediate effect. Olakanmi’s re-appointment was trailed by sharp criticism and reactions both by politicians and lawyers. The Ibadan branch of NBA had petitioned the NJC on the re-appointment of Olakanmi and instituted a boycott order of his court until the appointment is reversed.

Sources informed the Nigerian Tribune that following various petitions and complaints on the impropriety of the appointment of the judicial officer by the incumbent administration, the NJC was said to have commenced an investigation into the matter.

Nigerian Tribune findings also revealed that the Chief Judge was barred from attending last year’s conference of All Nigerian Judges in Abuja in which they instead approved the Justice John Olagoke Ige to attend.

After the conference, the NJC was reported to have written the Oyo State government in December 2007, recommending the removal of OLakanmi from office.

When contacted, the spokesman of the Oyo State governor, Prince Dotun Oyelade confirmed the receipt of the NJC directive as he said that the government has forwarded Olakanmi’s case file to the NJC for better understanding.

According to Oyelade, government appointed Olakanmi to discourage the embarrassing appointment of three acting judges in a row, “so it reverted to Olakanmi whose appointment though subjudice was substantive.”