FOR THE RECORDS: Gov Oyetola’s Speech At Special Appeal Court Session In Osogbo

*SPEECH BY THE GOVERNOR OF STATE OF OSUN, MR. ADEGBOYEGA OYETOLA, AT THE PROGRAMME MARKING THE COMMENCEMENT OF SPECIAL COURT SESSION OF THE COURT OF APPEAL, AKURE DIVISION, AT THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE COMPLEX, OKE FIA, OSOGBO, ON MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2019*
*Protocols,*

On behalf of the Government and People of our State, I welcome your Lordships to the State of Osun.

I am particularly deeply appreciative of the invitation extended to me to give the keynote address at the commencement of the 10-Day Special Court Session of the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, holding here in Osogbo, our state capital.

I regard this invitation as a testament to the pedigree of the Judiciary as a respecter of constituted authority and fellow arms of government. As a State that professes the Omoluabi ethos, we do not take this honour for granted.

Permit me, Your Lordships, to extend to you the trust and confidence the Government and the People of this State repose in you as esteemed adjudicators in appellate matters.

Enthroning democracy and the rule of law in our nation’s Fourth Republic has been particularly challenging in our peculiar environment where democratic institutions are weak and are struggling for identity and credibility.

In this 20-year-old challenging democratic journey, the Judiciary has filled in the gap by providing the barometer for reaching the desired destination.

At every turn, the Judiciary has lived up to its billing as the last hope of the common man. Indeed, the nation owes the gradual sanitization and stability of our democracy to the Judiciary.

As a crucial arm of the Judiciary, The Court of Appeal remains a strong pillar in this judicial and political expedition.

Your Lordships, your current assignment in Osun State is in furtherance of the Judiciary’s role as the arbiter and protector of the rule of law. The Judiciary has played this role with vigour and unblemished integrity. It has demonstrated to the people that it remains the filtering agent when unscrupulous elements muddle up our judicial waters.

*The Court of Appeal has established a reputation for itself as the home of landmark judgments in the nation. The preponderance of its judgments upheld by the Supreme Court is proof that it is indeed and in truth the Temple of Justice and home to the powerful and the oppressed.*

The statutory position of the Court of Appeal as the exclusive prime place where Justices of the Apex Court of the Land are appointed underscores the importance your court.

In furtherance of your resolve to build sustainable democracy and a just and peaceful nation, I urge Your Lordships to continue to uphold the tenets that have endeared you to the people as an institution of nobility, integrity and trust.

Your Lordships, I warmly welcome you to the State of Osun and wish you all the best as you courageously beam the torch on the dark parts of the appeals before you and give hope to the oppressed.

Thank you once again for according us the privilege of this Keynote Address. God bless.

*Adegboyega Oyetola,*
*Executive Governor, State of Osun*