Osun Assembly confirms Awolalu as Customary Court of Appeal President

The Osun State House of Assembly has confirmed the appointment of Hon. Justice Foluke Awolalu as the substantive President of the Customary Court of Appeal.

Justice Awolalu will replace the late Justice Gloria Oladoke, who died in September 2019.

A statement by Kunle Alabi, Press Secretary to the Speaker on Tuesday said, Timothy Owoeye, the Speaker at the plenary, said Section 281 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria empowers the lawmakers to confirm the appointment of the judge who was nominated by the governor for the post of the President of a Customary Court of Appeal.

He said, “The appointment of a person to the office of the President of a Customary Court of Appeal shall be made by the Governor of the state on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, subject to the confirmation of such appointment by the House of Assembly of the state.”

Owoeye added that the House, in compliance with the relevant Section of the Constitution, confirmed the appointment of Justice Awolalu as the President of Osun State Customary Court of Appeal.

In the meantime, the State House of Assembly has ordered that the embattled Chairman of Osogbo South Local Council Development Area, Hon. Abdulhakeem Olaoye vacate his seat as the Chairman of the LCDA for a period of two months.

The Speaker at plenary after receiving the report and recommendations of the joint Committees on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Judiciary, Legal Matters, Public petitions and Human Rights also asked that the Chairman should handover to the Vice-Chairman for a period of two months.

He emphasised that the joint Committees of the House having examined and investigated various allegations levelled against the chairman of Osogbo South via-a-vis his response, found him wanting of the allegations of gross misconduct.

According to the Speaker, “The Chairman, having failed to comply with section 3, 4A (iv) and (v) of the “Guidelines for the Administration of Local Government Areas, Local Council Development Areas, Area Councils and Administrative offices in the State of Osun, 2018” should vacate his office for a period of two months beginning from Monday 13th January 2020 to 12th March 2020.

“The suspension doesn’t remove the chairman as a Parliamentarian, he is still representing his people as a councillor, the Vice-Chairman will be there in acting capacity, after the expiration of the suspension, the chairman will return to his position as the chairman”.