Lawyers and Judges in Nigeria have paid their last respect to late Justice Solomon Ojutalayo at a valedictory court session held on Friday at the Federal High Court, Osogbo, Osun state capital.
Speaking at the special court session, the Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice A. Abdu-Kafarati, described the late judge as a transparent, honest, incorruptible, hardworking and meticulous judicial officer.
He said the life lived by late Ojutalayo was worthy of emulation for all judicial officers, both serving and retired.
Justice Abdu-Kafarati said the remembrance of late Ojutalayo after 23 years he retired from the bench, was a testimony that he lived a worthy life during service and after retirement.
Speaking, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Osun state, Dr. Ajibola Basiru, urged the lawyers and judges to learn from the late Ojutalayo and work together to reposition the judicial system to regain its lost glory.
In a statement issued by Opeyemi Bello, the Information officer of the Ministry of Justice in Osun, Basiru was quoted to have called on judicial officers to support the efforts of Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, in making the judiciary more efficient and vibrant thought judicial reforms.
Commenting on the trending issue of herdsmen, Basiru stressed that no issue has threatened the unity and corporate existence of Nigeria in recent years as the issue of herdsmen.
He said, “it is particularly saddening that in the face of continued monumental loss of human lives and properties, the Federal government has allowed the herdsmen conundrum to linger on for too long.
He insisted that creation of state police was necessary especially at this time saying “this seeming failure is as a result of the skewed federal system which leaves the Governors of the various federating units incapacitated as mere Chief Security Officers without the command and control of police formation in the states.
“The herdsmen conundrum shows out collective unpreparedness in addressing fundamental national issues. The clashes between herdsmen and farmers in some states in the North Central and South East, especially in Benue State should not have been allowed to degenerate to this level if government was proactive in developing a number of models for grazing of animals in the 21st century such as ranching.
“The Federal government should take the lead in the establishment of ranches while states government and the private sector should key into modernizing cattle rearing.
He challenged research institutions, universities and Universities of Agriculture to come out with a model of cattle rearing to replace current model of animal husbandry that is based on nomadic grazing of cattle and other livestock on farmlands.
Justice Ojutalayo died on November 11, 2017 while his funeral service holds on February 10, 2018 at St. Phillips Cathedral, Ayetoro, his Ile-Ife, Osun state.
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