By Mustapha Aleem
Rtd. Justice Folahanmi Oloyede, who wrote a petition against the governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola and his deputy, Titi-Laoye Tomori, in 2015, calling for a probe into the financial status of the state, has said that she had no regrets for her actions, while berating the treatments Judicial officers are getting from the country.
She made her position known in an interview on a radio programme, Frank Talk on Rave F.M. on Monday.
Folahanmi, who said she remained resolute in her stance and the resources of the petition she wrote, tendered an apology for the choice of words and language employed in expressing herself in the petition.
Against insinuations that her actions were borne out of the stiff relationship she had with the governor of state, she said her actions were in correlation with the fidelity of her office, noting there could not have been any animosity between the both of them.
According to her, there is nothing personal about the petition. There could not have been any reason to have any animosity against him. The relationship is that of the head of one government to the member of another government and it never went beyond.
She added, my reason for writing is clearly stated there. I am a person known for my own conviction and the only regret I have, I have said it, every other thing I said I meant it word for word.
On the recent clampdown on some judicial officers by Federal Government over corruption, she said, ” If truth be said, the nation has not been fair to judicial officers in this land. Judicial officers are not meant to be heard so they say, but who has been speaking for them since the passing on of late Chief Gani Faweyinmi(SAN) of blessed memory? Which organisation, which body has really bothered itself about the welfare of judicial officers in the land?
“Today, we hear that judges are being arrested for grafts. I am never a supporter of graft or corruption. Corruption for me and in any guise should be ana tema to any judicial officer because we all take an oath in the presence of the almighty father to uphold the ideal of social justice and democracy. Upholding the ideal of social justice means you have to be balanced and totally objective in evaluation of facts as presented before you. You can therefore, not under any circumstance, under any pressure whatsoever to take sides, which would amount to betraying your oath of office and a grave transgression of the almighty so therefore, I will not excuse any corruption in a judicial officer. It is said that, he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. Compare what judges, judicial officers are doing. You can only give what you have and you cannot expect people who don’t have justice to give justice.
“Has Nigeria and Nigerians really given the judiciary, magistrates, presidents of Supreme Courts and even customary courts ‘babariagbe’ judges, the requisite tools to carry out their duties, have they been that equipped, have their capacity been that developed and enhanced to give justice?”
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