No fewer than 190 magistrates and senior registrars were at the weekend shown the way out by the Ondo State government. The 190 magistrates and the senior registrars who were in the employment of the state’s judiciary were sacked by the government on the grounds that their employment was “ irregular.”
Of the 190, 70 were served with letters of suspension or termination of appointments at the weekend while 120 others would get theirs within the week. Affected by the purge in the state judiciary were the magistrates and the senior registrars employed by the State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) between 2011 and 2016.
The Chief Judge of the state by an Act setting up the State JSC is the Chairman Justices Olaseinde Kumuyi (rtd) and Temitayo Osoba were the Chief Judges when the alleged “irregular appointments” were made.
A copy of the letter dated September 13 and made available to New Telegraph was signed by the Secretary of the JSC, IIEF, ZD Egbunu. The letter entitled “Letter of Suspension” reads: “Due to perceived irregularities and lack of due process in your appointment as a senior registrar (functioning as a Staff Attorney) in the Ondo State Judiciary within the Judicial Service of the State, the Honourable Acting Chief Judge/ Chairman of Judicial Service Commission has directed your immediate suspension from the Judicial Service pending plenary consideration and review of the propriety of your appointment process. Meanwhile, you are to handover any government property in your possession to the Chief Registrar please.”
Meanwhile, lawyers under the aegis of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Akure Chapter had promised to intervene in the matter with a view to ensuring that due process was followed. NBA Chairman, Mr Tunji Oso said the list of the affected judicial officers was being complied for necessary interface with the relevant government officials, while although acknowledging that JSC which employed the staff had powers to sack, due process must be followed as contained in their terms of employment.
