A member of the Ogun State Judicial Service Commission and a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Tolulope Odebiyi has called for a review of the nation’s judicial system saying, it may continue to provide escape routes for criminals .
Odebiyi also decried the monthly jumbo allowances of members of National Assembly as unreasonable.
Odebiyi stated this while speaking with newsmen in Ayetoro, the headquater of Yewa North local government area shortly after he submitted his letter of intent to contest the Senatorial seat of the Ogun West under the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We have to look at a system that will discourage all Tom, Dick and Harry from going to the National Assembly. To me, it’s nauseating.
“While I am not calling for the total abrogation of the federal system, the truth of the matter is that it is something that must be seriously looked at. The legislature cannot continue to administer their duties the way it is going. Nigeria cannot afford it. If you look at the cost of running our legislative offices: if you look at all the wherewithal that comes with it, it is not sustainable.
“We cannot from Abuja be making policies that people can’t even relate with. I think more have to be given to the state government to enable it administer and to run their states, as well as for the local government to enable them get closer to the people at the grassroots”.
As a panacea to sanitising the nation’s judicial system, Odebiyi also canvassed that judges should rise up and defend the constitutions which they swore to protect.
“It is a high time the judges, the people in power both at the political offices and others that have taken the oath to defend the Constitution of Nigeria to execute the work judiciously and be seen to be doing that.
“Where you have the son of a minister being kidnapped and police just round off innocent people on the streets, parade and lock them up as criminals responsible for the kidnap, that is unfair! Things like that is not fair just because they don’t have the means to defend themselves.”
“What should be done is to ensure that you have the right judge in place and be less interference. The three arms of government should be independent.
“The reason why we are having these problems is because the independence of the three arms of government ; the Judiciary, the legislative and the executive is not there.
“You have to give them the independence for them to administer justice without fear or favour from the powers that be”, he said. [Vanguard]
