The Osun State House of Assembly has asked Governor Rauf Aregbesola to forward his response to it on the allegations raised by Justice Oloyede Folahanmi of the state High Court.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Justice Folahanmi, a serving judge in the state Judiciary, had sent a petition to the House of Assembly calling for the impeachment of Aregbesola over alleged financial recklessness.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Najeem Salaam, in a statement made available to NAN in Osogbo on Thursday by his Chief Press Secretary, Goke Butika, said the Assembly demanded a response to the petition from the governor without delay.
According to him, the onus of proof lies on the petitioner who has expressed her readiness to defend her allegations before the parliamentarians, hence Aregbesola’s response was needed for the sake of fair hearing.
Salaam noted that the legislature has decided to give Justice Oloyede’s petition a critical attention because she is a serving judge in the state.
According to him, justice demands that Oloyede’s allegations be given an attention because she holds a prime position in the judiciary, an arm of government in the state.
The Speaker appealed to members of the opposition and critics of the government to always channel their grievances peacefully.
He said the way and manner some people were blackmailing the state government over the arrears of salaries owed workers was not good for the image of the state.
According to him, the state parliament is always ready to intervene in matters between the people and the government at all time, without compromising the independence of the legislature as guaranteed by the constitution.
Salaam noted, however, that the parliament, under his watch, would not be stampeded on any issue before it.
He said thoroughness would be deployed into the facts presented to the House without prejudice.
He said: “Osun is our state.
“It is our ancestral home and we all have the duty to protect her name and promote harmonious relationship and peaceful coexistence.
“Yes, we have challenges in our nation and our state is not immune from the hydra-headed challenges, but with the coordinated responses of the government, as it is ongoing, those challenges would soon be history.”
NAN.