Akala’s appeal against ex-judges suffers set back

BY OLA AJAYI

IBADAN—ATTEMPT by the Oyo State Government to appeal the judgment by the State High Court to effect the immediate payment of gratuities of 11 retired judges has suffered a temporary delay as the government could not get the judge who gave the order to apply for stay of execution.

Vanguard learnt that the State Government had filed a notice of Appeal last week but Justice Muktar Abimbola who gave the order was said to be in Abuja thus hindering the state government to apply for a stay of execution.

The retired judges were said to have used some subtle method to get the Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala-led government to pay the gratuities but it declined, saying the buck should be passed to the Federal Government.

After failed attempts to make the government see reason, they resorted to legal means with Alhaji Lasun Sanusi, SAN, holding brief for them. The judgment was delivered last week and the court held that the government should pay the retired judges without delay.

But, dissatisfied with the judgment, the state government has headed for appellate court for a possible reversal of the judgment.

The retired Judges are Nurudeen Adekola, Olayiwola Adio, Ruth Oyetunde, Afolabi Adeniran, John Olagoke Ige, Karimu Jimoh, Lambe  Arasi, Akin Sanda, Atilade Ojo, Simon Akinola and Theophilus  Adeniran (deceased).

Vanguard further gathered that Justice Abimbola has been posted to the Northern state for election tribunal.

As a result, the state Chief Judge, Mrs. Bolajoko Adeniji was said to have been approached on how she could reassign the matter to another judge.