Muslim Community of Oyo State (MUSCOYS) has penned a protest letter against Governor Seyi Makinde’s seeming unfair treatment of Muslim candidates in the appointment of judges to the High Court of Justice of Oyo State.
In an open letter signed its Chairman, Alhaji Kunle Sanni and its Secretary-General, Alhaji Murisiki Siyanbade, MUSCOYS lamented and alleged that the three top candidates for the positions of judges, two of whom are dead, were Muslims but that Governor Makinde directed that they should not be appointed.
The Muslim Community recalled how Governor Makinde directed the state’s Attorney-General to withdraw the nominations listed, which consisted of three Muslims, namely Late Fatimat Badrudeen, Late Prince Adetunji Wasiu
Gbadegesin and Mr. Abdul-Razzaq Bolaji
Adebayo Agoro.
MUSCOYS pointed out that the first two candidates rose through the ladder to become the Registrar and Permanent Secretary respectively. However, Makinde directed the Attorney-General to cause the list to be withdrawn on the principal ground that the three of them were Muslims.
MUSCOYS stated that despite the fact that it was not comfortable with Makinde’s position, it chose not to react in the interest of peace in the state.
The letter reads in full:
MUSLIM COMMUNITY OF OYO STATE
His Excellency,
Engr ‘Seyi Makinde, FNSE,
The Executive Governor of Oyo State
Secretariat – Ibadan
Oyo State
Your Excellency Sir,
ANOTHER OPEN LETTER TO H.E. SEYI MAKINDE, ON THE CONTINUING OPPRESSION OF MUSLIMS IN ALL SECTORS OF OYO STATE – THIS TIME, ON THE JUDICIARY AND URGENT REQUEST FOR REDRESS OF THE LOPSIDEDNESS IN THE APPOINTMENT OF NEW JUDGES
Greetings, Your Excellency !
To start with, let it be noted that, we resorted to the avenue of writing open letters to Your Excellency, after efforts at meeting with you through letters seeking audience failed, at three different times.
It is on record that Your Excellency won the gubernatorial election in 2019 with votes of Muslims and Christians. It is equally not in doubt that your Excellency swore to be fair to all citizens of Oyo State, irrespective of their religion or tribe. It is on this ground that the Muslim Community hereby draws Your Excellency’s attention to the letter written by the Attorney General/Commissioner for Justice of the State, on Your Excellency’s authority, in respect of the ongoing appointment of judges to the High Court of Justice of Oyo State. The letter,
‘SELECTION OF THREE (3)
NEW HIGH COURT JUDGES
FOR OYO STATE’
dated July 20, 2020, which was addressed to the Hon. Chief Judge of Oyo State, who doubles as Chairman, Oyo State Judicial Service Commission stated, inter alia,
‘I refer to our letter of March
12, 2020 on the above
mentioned subject-matter,
and hereby communicate the
further directive of His
Excellency, the Governor of
Oyo State, Engr Seyi
Makinde, that the selection
process now before the
National Judicial Service
Commission, be withdrawn
and taken back to the Oyo
State Judicial Service
Commission for
reconsideration’
Your Excellency Sir, kindly recall that the list which you directed your Attorney General to withdraw consisted of three Muslims, namely :
1. Late Fatimat Badrudeen;
2. Late Prince Adetunji Wasiu
Gbadegesin; and
3. Mr. Abdul-Razzaq Bolaji
Adebayo Agoro
It is on record that the first two were Muslims during their lifetime while the 3rd person is equally a Muslim. However, it is necessary to point out that the first two rose through the ladder to become the Registrar and Permanent Secretary respectively. Notwithstanding this fact, Your Excellency directed the Attorney General to cause the list to be withdrawn on the principal ground that the three of them were Muslims.
It is on record that in line with Your Excellency’s directive, the first list was withdrawn and it was re-deliberated upon by the Judicial Service Commission. It was in this process that the Muslim Community and the State in general lost Mrs. Fatimat Badrudeen.
In line with your directive, the Judicial Service Commission of Oyo State met and eventually caused two Muslims and two Christians as preferred candidates to be recommended to the National Judicial Council, for onward recommendation to Your Excellency.
Although, the Muslim Community was not comfortable with Your Excellency’s directive that the three Muslims should not be appointed even when judges who are Christians are in the majority, but in the interest of peace in our state, we chose not to react.
It is on record that while the Muslim Community is in concurrence with the idea of recommending two Muslims and two Christians, the Muslim Community and Oyo State in general, again lost Prince Adetunji Wasiu Gbadegesin to the cold hands of death.
We have it on good authority that the Judicial Service Commission of Oyo State has substituted a Christian candidate for the said Late Prince Adetunji Wasiu Gbadegesin.
Kindly recall, Your Excellency, that the same Judicial Service Commission substituted a Christian candidate for the Late Fatimat Badrudeen.
May Almighty Allah have mercy on the departed souls of both of them, Aamin.
We call on your Excellency to kindly cause Late Prince Adetunji Wasiu Gbadegesin to be replaced with a Muslim.
Fair is just fair. He who must come to equity, let him come with clean hands.
Your Excellency, what we crave is just equity in all spheres. We do not ask to be unduly favoured above adherents of the other religion.
Your Excellency, we do not want to believe that there is a deliberate ploy to relegate Muslims in the State to second fiddle as you directed the Attorney General to cause the Chief Judge of the state to withdraw the list containing three Muslims.
We think it is only fair that since Muslims have lost two candidates, who could have become judges, in mysterious circumstances, if not for your Excellency’s opposition to the recommendation of the three Muslims to the National Judicial Council, it is only fair that Late Prince Gbadegesin be replaced with another qualified Muslim.
This is our simple request.
Your Excellency, kindly note that as at date, the Christian judges are in the majority in the High Court of Justice of Oyo State and the appointment of two judges from these two religions would still leave the Christians in the majority.
For the sake of clarity, the judges who are Christians are:
HON. JUSTICE I.S. YERIMA
HON. JUSTICE R.B. AKINTOLA
HON. JUSTICE A.A. GBOLAGUNTE
HON. JUSTICE O.I. AIKI
HON. JUSTICE A.L. AKINTOLA
HON. JUSTICE O.O. OLATUNJI
HON. JUSTICE O.M. FADEYI
HON. JUSTICE E.O. AJAYI
HON. JUSTICE B.A. TAIWO
HON. JUSTICE A.S. BOLAJI
HON. JUSTICE O.S. ADEYEMI
HON. JUSTICE A.O. LAJIDE
Also the judges who are Muslims are:
HON. JUSTICE MUNTA LADIPO ABIMBOLA (CJ)
HON. JUSTICE M.A.A. ABASS
HON. JUSTICE M.O. OLAGUNJU
HON. JUSTICE A.A. ADEGBOLA
HON. JUSTICE M.O. ISHOLA
HON. JUSTICE G.A. SUNMONU
HON. JUSTICE M.L. OWOLABI
HON. JUSTICE K.B. OLAWOYIN
HON. JUSTICE M.I. SULE
HON. JUSTICE L.A. GANIYU
HON. JUSTICE A.F. ADEEYO
May Almighty God make it easy for you to maintain justice and fairplay between the two major religions in Oyo State.
Yours faithfully,
Alhaji Ishaq Kunle Sanni
Chairman
Alhaji Murisiku Abidemi Siyanbade
Secretary-General
