The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode today, Wednesday, May 2, 2018, swore-in three new Judges of the State High Court, with a charge on them to be fearless in the discharge of their duties and to always allow professional ethics to govern their acts and utterances within and outside the court.
The new judges are Justice Sururat Soladoye; Justice Olukayode Ogunjobi and Justice Yetunde Pinheiro.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ambode said their appointment was a testament of the consistently high standards and professionalism having scaled all the hurdles set by the appointing bodies and declared as fit to be on the revered higher bench of the Lagos State Judiciary.
“I would like to admonish our newly sworn-in judges to be fearless in the discharge of their duties and to always allow professional ethics to govern their acts and utterances within and outside the court.
“This will be the expectation of not only your colleagues, but of every Lagosian whose expectations are that you must determine and dispatch justice with independence and impartiality. The citizenry will also expect you to dispense justice without fear, favour, affection or ill will, as your oath guides you to do,” he said.
Ambode added that: “The oath you have just taken is neither an empty ritual nor a matter of mere formal procedure. It is an open demonstration of commitment in the form of the making of a solemn and formal promise, the dereliction of which the oath taker will be held accountable; not only to the judiciary, and to our beloved State and country Nigeria but also to your creator.”
Meanwhile, Ambode said that a bill had also been sent to the State House of Assembly, seeking to amend the High Court Law to fix the number of Judges in the State High Courts to 120 from the present number of 59, saying that it would go a long way to address the challenges of the ever-growing population and the attendant increase in commercial transaction and disputes.
“In order to address the challenges of a growing population and the attendant increase in commercial transaction and disputes, we have sent a bill to the State House of Assembly seeking to amend the High Court Law to fix the number of Judges in the State High Courts at 120 from the present 59. We expect this to be favourably considered and passed soon,” he stated.
Earlier in the day, Ambode also swore-in Mrs. Folasade Fasehun as the new Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Waterfront Development, charging her to see her appointment as a call to serve in a higher capacity and eschew partisanship and focus on the promotion of the virtues of integrity, probity and professionalism in the Public Service.