The newly appointed members of Ogun State Judicial Service Commission have been charged to see their appointment as a call to service.

Gov. Ibimunle Amosun gave the charge while swearing-in the appointees at the governor’s office Conference room, Oke- Mosan, Abeokuta on Wednesday 7th February, 2018.

He also enjoined them to bring their wealth of experience to bear on their new appointment. 

The Ogun state House of Assembly had on Thursday 25th Jan., 2018 confirmed the nomination of the four non-statutory members of the State Judicial Service Commission forwarded to it by the State Governor.

The members of the Committee include Barr. ‘Biyi Otegbeye, Abayomi Omoyinmi, Akanni Yemisi and Mr. Folu Oguntade SAN.

3 YEARS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE FAST TRACK CLINIC: THE JOURNEY SO FAR

Without mincing words, the high rate of awaiting trial inmates in the prison formations across the country has become worrisome and needs urgent attention if the right to freedom of Movement and fair trial granted to all by the constitution are anything to go by. 

According to a survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and released in February, 2017, 72.53% of inmates in Nigeria Prison Formations were awaiting trial cases and according to the report, the problem of prison congestion in Nigeria is largely fueled by this high number of awaiting trial cases.

This situation as earlier observed has become a menace which is giving the Judiciary both at the Federal and State levels sleepless night as this seems to be jeopardizing the immense work that Magistrates and Judges in the country are doing in other to ensure Justice for all without delay as it is widely believed that “Justice delayed is justice denied”.

One of the problems causing this unwanted delay in the prosecution of Criminal Cases as unanimously agreed by the Stakeholders in the Administration of criminal justice in Ogun State in particular, is delay or non duplication of criminal case files by Investigating Police Officers (IPOs) who always complain of unavailability of funds, an act which many believe is largely responsible for the delay in rendering Legal Advice by the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP).

To tackle this ugly development, the Ogun State Judiciary under the leadership of Hon. Justice Olatokunbo Olopade with the support of success driven Governor of the State, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun during the 2014/15 Legal Year took a very bold step towards resolving this debacle by establishing Criminal Justice Fast Track Clinic in the three Senatorial Districts of the State.

The clinics, which were established with the sole aim of assisting IPOs in duplicating case files free of charge, are equipped with Industrial photocopy machines, adequate stationery and power generating machines to ensure constant power supply.  

This initiative of the Hon. Justice Olatokunbo Olopade led Administration which has been described as a step in the right direction has started to yield good fruits as cases awaiting Legal Advice as far back as 5, 4, 3, even 2 years which in the past dominated awaiting trial lists in all Prison Formations across the state have suddenly disappeared as the accused persons involved in such cases are either in Courts standing trial, convicted or discharged.

 This holistic measure has also helped to decongest Prisons in the State as accused persons whose case files cannot be found for one reason or the other on the part of IPOs were set free during the April and November, 2017 Jail Delivery Exercises.  With the establishment of these Clinics, IPOs can no longer hide under the excuse of ‘no fund to duplicate case files’ which they have been using in the past to cover up such occurrence.

So far, no fewer than Eight Hundred Criminal Case files have been duplicated and it would have been more than that but for the uncooperative attitude of some of the IPOs who refused to make use of these Clinics as expected, an attitude many considered as a threat to the overall success of this initiative.

Therefore, it was not surprising when the Chief Judge directed all Magistrates in the State during the April, 2017 Jail Delivery Exercise that with effect from 2^nd of May, 2017, not to entertain any matter on Preliminary Investigation brought to their Courts if the IPO has not duplicated the case files.

With full compliance with this directive, and the cooperation of IPOs, an end may soon come to the issue of prison congestion in the State as research has shown that 72.53% of the prison populations are awaiting trial inmates.

Based on this expectation and with the rate at which the number of inmates awaiting trial in the prison formations across the State is now reduced to the barest minimal,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          one can confidently say that the story of the Criminal Justice Fast Track Clinics in the State could be better if the Clinics are adequately utilized to duplicate case files by the IPOs for onward transfer to the DPP for Legal Advice.

The Ogun State Branch of Nigerian Medical Association has sought the cooperation of Ogun State Judiciary towards ending the menace of quacks in the profession.

The president of the Association, Dr Abayomi Olajide during his advocacy visit to the Chief Judge of Ogun State, Hon. Justice Olatokunbo Olopade in her office disclosed that visit to people who can make impact and influence government policies and decisions has become one of the core instruments of the Association in performing her duties.

Dr. Olajide noted that the influx of quack doctors into the State from Lagos was as a result of the war against them by the Lagos State Government and Ogun State needs to do the needful in terms of logistics and policies to stem the tide.

Dr. Olajide revealed that the Association is working assiduously to table an Anti- Quackery Bill before the State House of Assembly and there is no way such bill can become law without the input of the State Judiciary.

While appreciating the Association’s visit, Justice Olopade assured the Association that the State Judiciary shall continue to support the Association.

On the Five Point Agenda of the Association, Hon. Justice Olopade noted that the Association is not only concerned about the welfare of its Members but the welfare of Nigerian as a whole which is akin to what the State Judiciary is doing.

“On our part in the judiciary, we are very well much concerned about the welfare of our staff, not only Judges”. She stated.

Expressing the high level of confidence that the Management of the State Judiciary has in the Nation’s doctors Hon. Justice Olopade said “we have started a scheme whereby the Magistrates would have an annual comprehensive check-up, we have approached Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, …as for the Judges, every Judge is entitled to free comprehensive check-up annually, not abroad but within Nigeria this is because we believe that we have well qualified doctors who can do it”

The Nigerian Medical Association is the umbrella body of Nigerian Doctors saddled with the responsibilities of maintaining qualitative Health Care Delivery across the country.