*Court orders status quo to remain, fix judgement for July 26.
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Members of the Oyo State House of Assembly on Wednesday, asked the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Munta Abimbola to set up a seven – man committee to investigate the allegation of gross misconduct levelled against the deputy governor, Engr Rauf Olaniyan.
This was contained in a motion jointly moved by the House Majority leader, Hon Sanjo Onaolapo, and Hon Akintunde Olajide during its Wednesday plenary.
The Oyo state House of Assembly upon the motion directed the committee to submit its findings within three months of its inauguration.
However, during the Wednesday sitting for the hearing of the originating summons and interlocutory injunctions brought by the Deputy Governor, the lawmaker representing Oorelope state constituency, Hon Lateef Adebunmi filed an application before the court to be joined as a co-defendant in the matter.
Counsel to the Deputy Governor, Chief Afolabi Fashanu urged that he be allowed time to respond appropriately to the application, having been served in court on Wednesday morning.
Responding, Counsel to the defendants, Otunba Kunle Kalejaiye opposed the application on the grounds that the applicant is not relevant to the matter, while Hon Adebunmi’s counsel, Barrister Sunday Aborishade told the court that not granting the application to be joined in the matter before hearing the substantive suit by the court would amount to injustice and denial of fair hearing, noting that the implications of the matter has been deposited before the court.
The case however, got another twist when counsel to Engr Olaniyan called the attention of the court to the online reports of the directive of the Oyo Assembly to the CJ to set up the panel.
Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court, after the hearing fixed July 26 for delivering judgement on a matter brought before it by the Oyo State Deputy Governor, Engineer Rauf Olaniyan.
