Oyo State governor, Engr. ‘Seyi Makinde has sworn in eight judges of the Oyo State High Court and two Customary Court of Appeal judges, urging them to carry out their duties with all sense of responsibility and to live up to the expectations of the office they now occupy.
Governor Makinde equally assured, that his administration would continue to provide the necessary support towards ensuring that the judiciary has the right environment to perform its duties.
Makinde stated this shortly after the oaths of office were administered to the newly appointed judges at the Executive Council Chamber of the Governor’s Office, State Secretariat, Agodi in Ibadan.
He stressed that the process of the judges’ appointments was based on merit and without any interference from the executive, adding that there had been a cordial relationship between the arms of governments in the state.
The governor also noted that all arms of government had been working together to deliver dividends of democracy to the people of Oyo State in the last five years.
He said the judiciary had an important part to play towards the achievement of the administration’s Roadmap for Sustainable Development 2023-2027.
According to Makinde, the commitment of the administration to enforcing the rule of law and ensuring that the state continues to thrive into the future as a state with law-abiding citizens needs the drive and cooperation of judicial officers.
He charged the new judges to discharge their duties without fear or favour, noting that the people of the state would be looking up to them to protect their rights and to get justice, emphasizing that these people must not be disappointed.
“Less than a month ago, the NJC approved the appointment of eight High Court judges and two Customary Court of Appeal judges for Oyo State.
“And today, we just held the swearing-in of these newly appointed judges. This was done in accordance with Section 211 and 281 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.
“This exercise reminds us of how democracy works and the principle of checks and balances between the three arms of government. As you know, the legislature makes the law, the Judiciary interprets it, and the Executive enforces it. When these three arms work together, you have a more progressive society. And this is what has been happening in Oyo State since 2019.
“The three arms of government have been working together to deliver true dividends of democracy to our people. And with the appointment of these new judges, we are assured of the further strengthening of the Judiciary,” the governor said.
Governor Makinde said the new judges comprised those from the private legal practitioners from Oyo and Lagos states as well as an Associate professor from Iwo in Osun State. “So, for us, wherever we can identify talent, please come in and help us in Oyo State.
“I once again say congratulations to you. And let me state that the Judiciary is also going to have a particularly strong impact on the implementation of one aspect of Oyo State roadmap for sustainable development 2023 -2027.
“For a while now, we have been talking about the rule of law. We have taken time enough to sensitise the people about the importance of maintaining law and order.
“Of course, we do know that changing mindset is a slow process and one of the keyways to accomplish a change in mindset in the shortest possible time is through law enforcement. This is because if they know they will be caught and nobody will bail them out, they will change,” he noted.
Speaking against violators of traffic rules in the state, he said, “We will also do something about those driving against traffic rules, especially those that use one-way. I get annoyed when I see them. I will not force them but I will put a system that if you are driving against traffic, it will puncture their tires. And I will also put a sign saying, ‘wrong way, don’t drive this way’.
“So, with the combination of strong law enforcement, technology and CCTV cameras, I think Oyo State would be different in terms of maintaining law and order.”
He further commended the legislative arm, “because about eight months ago, we went to them with a Bill for an establishment for the rule of law enforcement authority and they gladly passed it.
“So, as they take the next step of enforcement, the judiciary will be playing a crucial role in implementation as they carry out their functions of interpreting the law.”
Earlier, the Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Iyabo Yerima charged the newly sworn-in judges to be honest, steadfast and firm in the discharge of their duties and to be ready to take up the challenges ahead, as according to her, cases have continued to increase in the judiciary’s docket.
Noting that the appointments of the judges were done without interference from the governor, Justice Yerima said that the NJC even commended the process that threw up the new judges.
Yerima, who commended the Governor Makinde-led administration for its unprecedented support for the judiciary, maintained that the appointment of the 10 new judges took the number of judges appointed by the administration to 15, noting the figure as the highest by any administration in the state.
