Justice O. Akintan-Osadebay of an Ondo State High Court, based in Akure, has imposed a fine of N200,000 on the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa. This fine was levied due to the absence of Mr. Aiyedatiwa’s lawyer during a crucial court session where they were expected to argue a motion aimed at halting the deputy governor’s impeachment.
Mr. Aiyedatiwa had filed a motion in the court seeking to prevent the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Olusegun Odusola, and the House of Assembly from proceeding with his impeachment. This was to remain in effect until the hearing and determination of the appeal he had filed against a previous court judgment that dismissed his case.
However, Justice Akintan-Osadebay dismissed the suit filed by the deputy governor, deeming it an abuse of the judicial process. This was primarily because Mr. Aiyedatiwa had already filed a similar suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja regarding the same impeachment.
Following the dismissal of the case, Mr. Aiyedatiwa filed a Notice of Appeal and an application requesting that the court restrain the House of Assembly and the Chief Judge from proceeding with the impeachment until his appeal is heard.
When the matter resumed, the counsel for the House of Assembly and the Chief Judge were present, but the Deputy Governor’s counsel was conspicuously absent. This absence raised concerns among the parties involved.
Counsel to the State House of Assembly, Femi Emodamori, informed the Court that the motion for injunction had been adjourned based on mutual agreement. However, he expressed surprise at the absence of Mr. Aiyedatiwa’s counsel and their failure to communicate their absence to the court.
In response, Justice Akintan-Osadebay ordered the Deputy Governor to pay a fine of N200,000, with N50,000 each going to the Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Olamide Oladiji, the House of Assembly, the Clerk to the House, Benjamin Jaiyola, and the Chief Judge, who were named as the 3rd to 6th respondents in the motion.
The hearing of the motion has been adjourned to November 7, 2023, with the presiding judge justifying the fine as a consequence of wasting the time of the court and the other parties.
In a separate development, a stakeholders’ group in Ondo State, the Ondo Progressives Forum, has called upon the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on Special Duties, Mr. Doyin Odebowale, to issue an apology for his repeated media attacks on the Deputy Governor. The group expressed concerns about Odebowale’s behavior and emphasized the importance of respectful engagement and upholding the dignity and integrity of public office.
Source:[Vanguard]
