Ondo Govt Withholds Grants To Judiciary Over Unfavourable Judgement

By Ayodele Oni

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, (SAN),  Chief Wale Omotosho has expressed surprise over Ondo State Government’s stoppage of running grant to the judiciary following an order by one of the Courts.

Omotosho told newsmen in Akure that: “Judiciary in the State is being punished because one of the Courts ordered a temporary order against the Government account.

“Because of that issuance of temporary order against the Government account, the Court now said that it had been called upon by the Chief Judge that because of the garnishee issue their running grants have been stopped.

“If subject of the litigations is now subject of discussion outside the Court, between Judges and Attorney General, then we should call it bye bye to the judiciary in this country.

“If the Judges’ grants, allowances can be stopped because they are having a matter in their court then bye bye to the independent judiciary.”

He accused the Ondo State judiciary of compromising the course of justice because of the intimidation from the executive arm of government.

Omotosho, who had filed a suit to freeze the account of the State Government, and was struck out by Justice David Kolawole observed that the Judiciary in the State cannot be trusted to dispense justice because of intimidation.

A former Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Ogundeji Iroju, had through Omotosho filed an injunction on the account of the government for failure to pay judgement debt incurred over the purported impeachment of the former lawmaker.

The State High Court had earlier granted an order to reinstate Iroju as the Deputy Speaker and that his entitlements since the purported impeachment should be paid. The court also granted N10 million as damages to the former lawmaker

Six months after the court order, the judgement has not been implemented, making the former lawmaker through his counsel to file a default order against the account of the government.

The Court presided over by Justice  Kolawole however said the order had affected not only the executive arm of government but the judiciary hence the need to strike out the garnishee order.

Infuriated by the order of the court Omotosho, said it was unfortunate that the judiciary could succumb to the intimidation of the executive arm of government instead of upholding the rule of the law.