Osun Govt Has Launched Offensive on Rule of Law – Kusamotu

By Segun Ojo

The recent increment in suit filing in the court registry in Osun State has been generating reactions from members of the public, particularly members of the legal profession and civil society groups in the state.

On two occasions, lawyers had closed the Osogbo High Courts and barred the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Adepele Ojo from entering the court’s premises in protest against what they described as arbitrary and outrageous increment in the suit filling fees.

According to the lawyers, the state government has increased writ of summon from N4, 000 to N40, 000 while a divorce petition has also jumped from N3, 000 to N25, 000 and Oath was increased from N200 to N1000.

Commenting on the matter on Friday, a legal practitioner, Mr Ayo Kusamotu described the increment as a reflection of bad governance and poor leadership, saying that it is ungodly.

Kusomatu, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who was a House of Representative aspirant for Ifelodun/Boripe/odo-Otin Federal Constituency, said the increment would create barriers to access justice and there would not be effective rule of law if it is allowed to stay in the state.

In his post on his facebook account, Kusamotu said: “We are been punished severely with bad governance and poor leadership in Osun State. Lawyers are protesting the ungodly filing fees imposed in the court registry in Osun State. This will potentially create a barrier to access justice.

“There can be no effective rule of law when there are barriers to justice. Barriers also ultimately lead to lawlessness. One of the ways to forcefully bring a community to its knees is by creating a disorderly society where only the strong will survive .An offensive has been launched on rule of law in Osun State.

“Since it is said that a nation deserves the leaders it gets, I can only make this allocutus for leniency on people of Osun State. Osun State is officially a satrapy, ruled by a Tsar .What a pity!”