18th February, 2011
The Ondo State Chief Judge, Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi, has warned 20 newly appointed magistrates in the state’s judiciary to steer clear of corrupt tendencies while discharging their official duties.
He gave the warning on Thursday in Akure while swearing in the new magistrates.“The position of a magistrate is not a pot of gold where you can get rich quick. “You have all been warned about the salary of a magistrate before accepting the offer of appointment. You must therefore avoid any avaricious desire to make money,†he warned.
Kumuyi urged them to be conscious of their friendship, behavious and utterances, both in public and private places.
He declared: “A little careless act today may have adverse future consequences. You should pause and observe the wordings of the oath and see if you really want to be magistrates.
“The magistrate is a man honour. He enjoys the right to try cases, sentence accused persons to prison terms, sign bench warrants and cause inquest into the cause of death.â€
Kumuyi reminded the magistrates of the sensitive nature of their duties, stressing that their appointments were in fulfillment of Gov. Olusegun Mimiko’s determination to make the state’s judiciary the envy of the nation.
He said one of his mandates as Chief Judge was to ensure that remote parts of the state had access to justice.
Kumuyi said the existing court system had been strengthened with the establishment of 11 additional magisterial districts across the state.The new magisterial districts, he added, would be sited in Igbekebo, Igbokoda, Irele, Araromi-Obu, Ogbese, Ita-Ogbolu, Ogbagi-Akoko, Ilu-Titun, Igbotako and Supare-Akoko.
The Chief Judge also announced the strengthening of the existing magisterial districts with the creation of additional courts in Ondo, Ikare-Akoko, Oka-Akoko and Akure.
He noted that bringing courts closer to the people also had its social and economic advantages on host communities.
Kumuyi expressed the hope that in the near future the effect of the changes would become noticeable in the standard of judgments from the magistrate’s courts.
The new magistrates are Mrs. Omole Olayinka, Anjola Ayeni-Adeda, Adedapo Sunday, Oluwafemi Evelyn, Charity Adeyanju, Olawumi Ojuola, Adeola Mapami, Justina Okolonuka, Samuel Agunloye and Temitope Alphonso.
Others are Folashade Aduroja, Sikiru Babalola, Olateju Odelusi-Fadeyi, Olubumi Wilfred Olujuyigbe, Adejoke Adetiloye, Joseph Ogunmola, Mayowa Idowu, Patrick Tunde Ajele and Dickson Ogunsuyi.Responding on behalf of his colleagues, Omole promised that they would not disappoint both the judiciary and the government.