Acting CJ Witch Hunting Us -Suspended Ondo Magistrates
The sixty magistrates recently suspended by the state Judicial Service Commission (JSC) on Sunday, described their suspension as an act of witch hunting, saying “it is malicious and unjust.”
The affected magistrates said that their suspension letter, dated September 14, 2017, on the ground of “perceived irregularity and lack of due process in appointment” was illegal.
Addressing a press conference in Akure, the magistrates, led by Mr. Gbenga Adeyemi, lamented that the commission and the acting Chief Judge, Oluwatoyin Akeredolu erred in their actions.
Adeyemi said, “It should be noted that at the time the suspension letter was served on us, there was no constituted JSC.
“This acting chief judge and her clowns of advisers had been doing all these out of hate and flagrant disrespect for decorum and reasoning. She intimidates like she is a demi-god; the special hatred she has for the magistrates is second to none.”
The affected magistrates alleged that the commission was not sincere with the exercise, protesting that the plenary session had their meeting on September 22, 2017 without any recourse to them.
According to them, “At the end of the said plenary session, the Ondo State JSC 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 as to the outcome. 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 appointments confirmed by state government two years after their appointment, some were even converted from staff attorneys to magistrates after plenary sessions.
“Some have taken promotional examinations and have been promoted, while others are awaiting confirmation having spent close to two years without misconduct. All these appointments are already gazetted by the Ondo State House of Assembly in appropriate years.”
The magistrates further lamented that, “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.”
The suspended magistrates said that they were entitled to the said allowances because they worked earnestly from the month of January, 2017, till the 15th day of September, 2017, when they were served the suspension letters.
According to them, “It is saddening that a chief Judge can suspend legally sworn in magistrates under “perceived irregularity and lack of due process.
“The question is, who caused the perceived irregularities assuming without conceding that there were irregularities? The beneficiary or the giver?
“Such act is unjust, absurd, unlawful and irregular. We appeal to those concerned to prevail on the Acting Chief Judge of Ondo State, call her to order to reverse the so called suspension and reinstate us back to our positions with adequate compensation.”