The Proprietor and Chairman, Board of Trustees of Crescent University, Abeokuta, Prince Ma’ruf Adesegun Ajibola SAN has counselled the Ogun State Judiciary on integrity, transparency and accountability to continuously achieve effective justice delivery.
Delivering a keynote address at the Ogun State Judiciary 50th Anniversary Public Lecture with the theme: Fifty Years of Justice, Integrity and Public Trust:Building the Future of the Ogun State Judiciary, Ajibola stressed that ” the Ogun State Judiciary is certainly one of the few State Judiciaries one can point to with little, if any notable integrity challenges in Nigeria”.
He said although the negative public perception of the judiciary could not be attributed to a single cause, the responsibility rested on both the bar and the bench whose conduct, confidence and commitment to justice collectively shaped the integrity of the legal system.
In his words, “the Judges in the court room sit in an elevated position with their polished gavels, gowns and a white wig. These are symbols our Lordships inherited from colonial masters to symbolize the integrity, authority and uniqueness of judges”, Prince Ajibola has said, adding that without integrity, “all these symbols merely become theatrical as the gavel becomes a prop, the courtroom becomes a Nollywood stage,and the wigs and gowns will then turn to comical costumes”.
He acknowledged the contributions of Ogun Judiciary “that has produced world class judges and justices, the Nigerian Bar Association” and his late father, Judge Abdul Jabbar Bola Ajibola SAN “for contributing to the image of the State across the world” in legal, judicial and international assignments.
He concluded that “it is trite that a rotten egg has no hiding place in the crate. While it is good to protect our brothers, however, where such protection of one will lead to the downfall of the whole, it is high time such was eased out. This is the main challenge facing both the bar and the bench. Who will bell the cat? “
The event was chaired by the pioneer Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ogun State, Chief Akinwande Delano SAN as the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun was represented by his deputy, Engr. Noimot Salako.Â
The Vice Chancellor of Crescent University, Prof. Ibraheem Gbajabiamila, his deputy, Prof. Rasaki Kareem, Registrar Prince Zakariyyah Ajibola, Principal Assistant Registrar, Mr Idris Katib, Dean of Student Affairs, Dr Mikhail Akindoyin, Dean of Bola Ajibola College of Law (BACOLAW), Dr Saliu Jimoh as well as students of the College attended in large number to chair their Proprietor.
