By Adebisi Fatima Sogbade
The Oyo State Chief Judge, Justice Iyabo Yerima, on Tuesday commissioned new and reconstructed Chief Magistrate Courts at Oke Alubo in Okeho and Ilero in the state’s Kajola Local Government Area.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the commissioning of the new courts in Okeho and Ilero brings to three those Yerima has commissioned during her tenure since January.
While speaking at the occasion, Justice Yerima said her primary aim was to see to the restoration of the Oyo State judiciary to its splendour and glory.
She said this would help to make the standard much higher than it had ever been.
“The old Magistrates’ Court in Okeho when I resumed as Chief Judge was in a state of aggravated dilapidation —- both the building housing the court and the environment.
“The building then was not fit to be called a court. I ordered for the shutting down of the court, gave instructions that court staff be transferred back to Ibadan.
“I challenged the community to put up a befitting place that will suit the judiciary, a Magistrates’ Court with facilities in place and in proper working condition,” the Chief Judge said.
Yerima said the Okeho Community rehabilitated the court, leading to Tuesday’s commissioning.
The Onjo of Okeho, Dr Abdulrafiu Mustapha, the Adeitan II, while speaking at the ceremony thanked Justice Yerima for coming to his community for the commissioning.
Oba Mustapha said the town also needs the presence of a High Court.
“For the citizens of this town to access high court facility, it’s either he or she heads to Iseyin or Saki for various high court cases,” he said.
Also, the Ilero Chief Magistrates’ Court which was newly established by the community was equally commissioned on Tuesday.
Yerima said she observed in her quest to ensure prompt and easy justice system in all communities in Oyo State that some communities were in need of courts within their locality.
“One such community is Ilero. However, giving a locality a court was not going to be enough.
“It has to be such that the court being established will be suitable, comfortable and befitting for the judges as well as the users.
“With a great sense of commitment, the community got together, searched and found a place, the former television viewing centre of Ilero.
“It was then worked upon and reconstructed as the new Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ilero,” she said.
Yerima said it was a thing of pride for the community to have been able to achieve this for the commissioning.
Among the dignitaries present at the occasion were the Elero of Ilero, Lateef Oyedele Saka, the Olokolonigi 1, and the Gegun of Ayetoro-oke, Oba Najeemdeen Afolabi.
There were also Prof. Oladimeji Oladepo, the Chairman of Ilero Development Council, Alhaji Amuda Ganiyu, the Ilero Community Chairman, and Mrs Omotayo Olatunbosun, Chairman of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Ogbomoso branch.(NAN)
