OSOGBO, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Osun State chapter of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has rejected the verdict of the state House of Assembly passed on Justice Olamide Folaranmi Oloyede over her petition calling for credible and thorough investigation into the alleged gross financial misconduct of Governor Rauf Aregbesola and his deputy, Mrs. Grace Laoye-Tomori.
In a statement signed yesterday and made available to THISDAY by the Chairman of CNPP, Pastor Popoola Olatunji and the Secretary, Prince Gbade Adelakun, the association explained that the seven-member All Progressives Congress (APC) House panel’s conclusion on the said matter was undemocratic, devilish, bias, unfortunate, ungodly and anti-people.
According to him, “We strongly believe that the courageous and indomitable Justice Oloyede is representing the voice of the voiceless and the oppressed masses of Osun State and this voice cannot be silenced by tyrannical rule of Aregbesola.”
He said: “Although Justice Oloyede committed an uncommon offence by choosing to be on the side of the downtrodden people of the state, the outcome of the so-called investigation of the panel justified the earlier prediction of various stakeholders in the state.
“We need to make it clear that the Assembly has misled millions of Nigerians and international community on the matter over their claims that the woman judge abandoned her petition, whereas she requested through her lawyer, Mr. Lanre Ogunlesi (SAN), for the response of Aregbesola which the rubber-stamp panel failed to produce. .
“He urge the state Judicial Service Commission (SJC) to disregard any letter emanating from Aregbesola’s apologists especially from the state House of Assembly calling for investigation of Justice Oloyede because the judge in our opinion did not commit any offence except being on the side of truth.
“As stakeholder, CNPP sees the action of the House of Assembly as a clear attempt to cripple the voice of the opposition in the state and believed, in the rights of individuals as stipulated in Section 39 of the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and therefore any attempt to act otherwise might lead to further crisis in the state.
“The world must know that opposition members are daily being attacked, harassed and gagged by APC thugs and Aregbesola’s agents of terror popularly called ‘State Boys,’” the statement said.
The state chapter of CNPP therefore called on the President Muhammadu Buhari to quickly look into Osun State matter so as to assure the people of the country and the international community that there “is no sacred cow in the country and his handling of Osun issue will serve as a litmus test to his campaign against corruption.”
Credit: ThisDay (Nigeria)
