No fewer than 190 Magistrates and Senior Registrars in the employment of the Ondo State judiciary have either been sacked or suspended from service.
Vanguard reliably gathered over the weekend that 70 magistrates and Senior Registrars have received their letters of suspension or termination of appointments. Others would be served their letters from today sources in the judiciary confided in Vanguard in Akure.
In a swift reaction the Akure Chapter of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) said “since the JSC which employed them declare the appointment irregular, the association would wade into it and see what made the appointments irregular.
Also, the state Chairman of the NBA, Tunji Oso, said the list of the affected judicial officers was being complied for the necessary interface with the relevant government officials.
He added that; “The JSC which employed the staff could sack them but must follow the laid down procedure affecting their terms of employment.”
Findings showed that mostly affected by the exercise were the Magistrates and Senior Registrars employed by the State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) between 2011 and 2016.
However, the state Chief Judge, by the act setting up the State JSC is the Chairman. Justices Olaseinde Kumuyi (rtd) who was the former chief judge and his successor Justice Temitayo Osoba were the helmsmen in the JSC when the perceived “irregular appointments” were made.