DISAGREEMENT OVER SECRETARY’S TRANSFER SPARKS FRESH CRISIS IN OSUN STATE JUDICIAL SERVICE COMMISSION

Controversy deepens as Judicial Service Commission members dispute the posting of outgoing Secretary Abosede Fagbola, citing statutory qualification guidelines and procedures

A fresh administrative crisis has hit the Osun State Judiciary following a sharp disagreement within the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) over the transfer and replacement of its Secretary, Abosede Fagbola.

The dispute centers on administrative directives issued regarding the deployment of commission personnel. Documents revealed that Fagbola had initially redeployed a senior official, Isiaka Alao, to the Osun State Customary Court of Appeal on the instructions of the state Chief Judge, Justice Adepele Ojo. However, days later on September 18, Fagbola received her own transfer letter, sparking internal friction among commission members and administrative officers over procedural compliance.

Opponents of the deployment argue that the transfer violates established conventions and administrative guidelines, pointing out that the position of JSC Secretary requires specific legal qualifications that must be adhered to in any replacement process. Conversely, defenders of the directive maintain that the law establishing the commission does not explicitly mandate a legal practitioner for the secretarial post, allowing flexibility in civil service postings.

The rift has created administrative friction within the state's judicial system, with stakeholders calling for urgent resolution to prevent a breakdown in commission operations and safeguard the independence of judicial governance in Osun State.