BY OLA AJAYI

IBADAN – ELEVEN retired judges, including three Chief Judges and two acting Chief Judges have instituted an action before an Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, against Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala of Oyo State over alleged conscious denial of their rights occasioned by their unpaid severance packages.

The former judicial officers also included the former Acting Chief Judge, Justice Afolabi Adeniran, who was sworn-in after the controversial removal of Justice Olagoke Ige, Justices N.  Adekola, M. Adio, R.  Oyetunde,  J.  Ige, K. Jimoh, L. Aransi, A. Sanda, Atilade Ojo, S.  Akintola and T. Adeniran (deceased).

The retired judges  want the court to determine whether the state government was not bound by the provisions of the law to pay them their  entitlement, following their retirements.

The also want the court to determine, whether having completed their services in the state’s judicial service, it was not wrong for the state to deny them their severance entitlements.

They want the court to declare that the 1st to 10th claimants, including the estate of late Justice T.  Adeniran (rtd) are  entitled to be paid severance gratuity, to be based on 300 % of each claimant’s annual basic salary while in service.

According to them, as a result of the alleged denial of their rights, they want the court to order the defendants to pay them and one of them who is deceased their severance gratuities based on 300 % annual basic salary of each of them.