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Justice Olamide Folahanmi Oloyede, the serving Judge who petitioned the parliament has failed to appear before the investigative ad-hoc committee headed by Hon. Akintunde Adegboye, she was only represented by her lawyer, Mr. Lanre Ogunlesi, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who could not make any headway.
At the interactive session, the Committee chairman turned down the plea of Oloyede’s lawyer who asked for the response of the governor to build her defence, asserting that the judge had broken three rules of the parliament already in wrong filing, signing and appearance in line with order 126 sub one to six of the parliament.
Adegboye further drew the attention of the Judge’s lawyer to the parlance of the law which quotes, “he who alleges must prove” to which Ogunlesi concurred and pleaded with the panel to pardon Oloyede on her missteps.
While arguing for the response of the governor before the judge could appear, the panel chair said, the Oloyede’s petition at the fourth paragraph was categorical on her readiness to appear with her evidences to back up her petition, saying the committee could not play “father Christmas” in giving what was not requested for abinitio.
Adegboye then clarified that the panel was a fact-finding committee not a trial court, saying the appearance of the judge would further confirm her resolve to pursue her cause and assist the committee in its work.
However, the petitioner’s lawyer assured the committee that the judge would appear before the panel if given another chance to come and discharge the burden of her proof, to which the committee chair agreed within the frame of two week timeline given to the committee.
It would be recalled that Justice Oloyede had earlier petitioned the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaam, urging the house to investigate Gov. Aregbesola and her deputy for financial impropriety.
