No persons or groups can gang up against the sacred House: the position of law is sound and as sacrosanct as ever

A few days ago, the Osun State House of Assembly at its plenary held on Thursday came up with a resolution to address several petitions and allegations levelled against the Osun State Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Adepele Ojo.

Having read and digested several unsubstantiated insinuations and maligning statements authored against the members and leadership of the State parliament, it became pertinent to address the array of frivolous, baseless, lifeless and mischievous allegations raised against the State Assembly.

As the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Publicity who would never be a party to illegality whatsoever, I was conspicuously present at the plenary held on the said day and there was no area where the House of Assembly committed any infraction against the rule of law.

For instance, the Honourable members of the House as the legitimate representatives of the people of Osun State perfectly understand the position of law and we also know the constitutional bounds of the legislative arm of government.

The provision of Section 128 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) expressly empowers the lawmakers to investigate any person holding public office, no matter their position, and that was exactly what the State parliament demonstrated on the said day.

The same Constitution also makes it mandatory that before a Chief Judge of a State could be sworn in, he or she must appear before the house for screening and thereafter, his or her fate would be determined concerning confirmation or otherwise.

In the same spirit, it is pertinent to call the attention of the general public, especially the set of individuals who failed to verify the position of the house but allowed political emotion and sentiment to govern their sense of reasoning, to the fact that section 271 sub-section 4 and section 292 1 a(Ii)of the same 1999 Constitution expressly empowers a State Governor to appoint the next in rank to fill the vacant office of a Chief Judge. Hence, there is no ambiguity in what the law says.

Therefore, the Osun State House of Assembly did not and will never do and carry out any exercise in contravention of the provisions of Nigerian laws.

No individual or group can tarnish the image of the State parliament or gag it.  The Honourable House would not fail in its legislative responsibilities in instituting appropriate investigation of such.

In the same vein, the Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary Matters and Public Petitions, Hon. Kanmi Ajibola had during the plenary pleaded to the house that for the sake of fear hearing, the house should give Hon. Justice Adepele Ojo, a 7-day ultimatum to prove the petitioners wrong over the allegations levelled against her which majorly border on gross misconduct, corruption, abuse of office, among others.

I remain Honourable Prince Adekunle Oladimeji chairman House Committee on Media and Publicity representing the Irepodun/Orolu State Constituency.No persons or groups can gang up against the sacred House: the position of law is sound and as sacrosanct as ever.