INVESTIGATION :FORMER OYO CHIEF JUDGE MUNTA LADIPO ABIMBOLA NOT YET ARCORDED RECOGNITION BY OYO STATE GOVERNOR
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….YET TO RECEIVE A HANDSHAKE FROM ENGR SEYI MAKINDE
Justice Munta Ladipo Abimbola,
Former Chief Judge of Oyo State is yet to receive a deserving hand shake from Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde despite serving the state Judiciary meritoriously for nine years, GREATRIBUNETVNEWS has learnt.
In a chat with GreatTribuneTV News,those who are familiar with happenings around the jurist told this newspaper that they are not happy that the man who has given so much to the state Judiciary is yet to receive a hand shake from the Executive Governor of Oyo State, Engr Seyi Makinde.
Rolling out some of the achievements of the retired Chief Judge, the concerned friends said it was during his time that Oyo state witnessed unprecedented giant stride in its service delivery when he deployed modern technology in Oyo court system and justice administration .
The concerned friends mentioned the adoption of Nigeria Case Management System for electronic filing and case management early this year which is now at the implementation stage of harmonisation,and the filling processes at the Court registry with the online processed.
Not only these, they further disclosed that retired Chief Judge ensured that pilots courts are fully equipped for them to be able to discharge their duties without hindrance.
According to them,court proceedings in Oyo which are now are now being transcribed and reported electronically in pilot courts with capabilities of holding virtual court proceedings are also part of his achievements while holding fort as Chief Judge of Oyo state
Besides,they said the courts are now enabled to connect to Correctional Centres virtually by Q Soft denovo for video, virtula, and audio recording put in place by Funmi Quadri & Co.were to his credit
They also mentioned migration to electronic affidavit,saying it’s a stand-alone, cloud-based platform that enables relevant authorities (principally, the courts) to generate and store affidavits for affidavits and other interested parties who may want to verify the authenticity of the affidavits online at the comfort of their locations which has made Oyo Judiciary the doyen of the Nigerian Judicial Council NJC as part his achievements
The former Chief Judge also introduced the judges’ performance evaluation software, ab electronic method of filling courts quarterly returns by the National Judicial Council into the system
“The web application was demonstrated to the Honourable Judges and court staff, and all were trained on the use of the demo platform. The application will soon go live, and both the manual quarterly returns and electronic ones will still be accepted by the council until the electronic returns are fully functional. “are also part of his initiatives while in service
He said the processes of the Probate Section are now the digitalized being tested for full implementation.
“Also, the High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2010 was amended and replaced with High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2023 Oyo State. The Practice Direction, in respect effective use and enforcement of the administrative of Criminal Justice Law 2016, was issued and presented to the public with effect from November 2022. The process of trials within trials is incorporated in the trial rules and other court management strategies to assist in quick disposal or criminal cases. “As part of the innovative things he introduced into the state judicial system
According to him,his mission was to improve the justice delivery fast tract trial process, ensure prompt, responsive, and efficient adjudication, and make justice available to all.
According to them the retired Chief Judge started first by improving on the working environment, ensuring that office standard equipment and office tools, furnitures were put in place and the buildings repainted, not only the Ring Road Headquarters but also Iyanganku, Oyo and the other outside during jurisdictions.
“He also take the issue of security of life and property he seriously by providing for more security men who were employed and fully kitted with customised uniforms, boots, and security searching apparatus and provision of touch lights for night guards.
In order to have a good and functional administrative base, about 10 Chief Magistrates who had been on the same position for over 10 years were elevated to positions of Deputy Chief Registrars,by the retired Chief Judge adding that dministrative divisions were created to expand areas of operation of the department.”
He ensured that those offices were manned by the experienced Deputy Chief Registrars.
They added:” he created Litigation Department, Judgment Enforcement Units, Process Service Unit, Library Services, Appeal Section which handles settlement of records and expeditious compilation, Appeal processes. Community Service Unit, Family Court Unit, Probate Section was reorganized and also headed by DOR Probate.
“In accordance with Order 7 Rule 1(i) of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2010 which empowered the Chief Judge to serve as Court process servers, two court process servers were appointed to compliment service of processes by bailiff:namely Damnic Dynamic Services. Emissary Logistics Limited.”
“For bail applications to be processed without exhortions,Bondmen were registered .”
“He issued practice directions to enable court users to provide their phone numbers, and other ICT means to enable service of court processes by such devises.”
“Because of the vacuum created in the magistracy by reason of appointment of court Administrators, he made sure that magistrates were promptly appointed and undergone series of workshops, induction courses, and other trainings.
“Appointment for about six judges of the High Court were facilitated by me in order to reduce the workload of cases in our courts.
“Creation of Judicial Divisions – The judicial divisions in place were as follows: Ibadan Judicial Division, Ogbomoso Judicial Division, Saki Judicial Divand Eruwa Judicial Division . I extended the number of judicial divisions by ensuring that new judicial 9divisions were created to bring justice to the doorsteps of the citizens, namely Kishi, Iseyin. Orilegbon, Moniya, and Igboora judicial divisions. ”
They also recalled that when he came on board,he got Customary Court of Appeal established and appointed the pioneer President Hon. Justice Akinteye in line with the recommendation of the National Judicial Council.
The other pioneer judges, whose appointments facilitated by the retired Chief Judge include Hon. Justice Olatunji Daniel, Hon. Justice T.M Abdul Ganiyu, Hon. Justice Oyafajo and lately, Hon. Justice Ajadi.
They said though:”The jurisdiction of that court is appellate in nature by reason of which he facilitated the creation of Grade A Customary Courts presided over by legal practitioners. Appeals lie from Grade A to the Customary Court of Appeal. The jurisdiction of the Grade A Customary Court was stipulated in an enacted law and expanded in line with constitutional and statutory provisions. ”
They claimed the retired Jurist also facilitated the appointed of about nine presidents of the said courts.
“He established the family court in Oyo State with the building of a befitting structure in Iyaganku and invited Exwcutive Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Abiodun Makinde to commission same on the 9th July, 2020.
“The Family Court sit with a presiding judge or magistrates and two assessors in deciding matters relating to or affecting the interest of a child. This court avoids every child the protection and necessary care, which also includes the enjoyment of rights recognised under chapter IV of the 1999 constitution (as amended). ”
“The family courts have been established also in Saki and Oyo divisions. It will be extended to all other judicial divisions. The family court has the highest number of cases on matrimonial causes and is now overworked. I have directed the setting up of Family Court 2 to the presided over by another judge of the High Court. ”
“Also, in respect of criminal administration of justice, when I came on board, I ensured prompt domestication of the administration of Criminal Justice Act by setting up a committee, and the bill proposed was passed into Law. The administration of Criminal Justice Law Oyo states 2016, under that law, I set up the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee. ”
In order to uphold sentencing alternatives provided for the under that law, Community Service Centres were set up and manned by trained community service officials who ensured compliance with the guidelines on non-custodial sentence execution, they added.
Sadly,the concerned friends of the retired Chief Judge who does not want their names in print told GREATRIBUNETVNEWS that the Oyo State former Chief Judge who has done so much in terms of achievements for the state Judiciary has yet to receive a hand shake or any form of compensation from the amiable Governor of the state, Engr Seyi Makinde.
A development they said is strange going by the fact that the retired Chief Judge who served the state meritoriously for nine years, who is also the longest serving Chief Judge with enviable record of achievements in the whole of the nine states of the former western region combined.
The retired Chief Judge in his reaction thanked Governor Seyi Makinde for his unalloyed support,which enabled him to achieve his mission.
He added:”Personally, he did a lot for me for which I will forever be grateful to him. In the same vein i thank His Excellency the Deputy Governor a brother and advisor, all exco members, the commissioner especially my good friend Professor Sangodoyin and Anthony general professor Oyewo who you work and the functionaries of the states.
“My thanks to my good friend there amiable Speaker of the house Rt. Hon. Ogundoyin and other honourable members I thank and sundry for their respective contributions.I also thank my sister,Senator Monsurat Sunmonu,who has been my prayer my mother guidance and counselor of support since my appearance before our for confirmation”.
