Osun Judicial Service Commission: Secretary Legal Requirement Ignored in Acting Appointment

• A dispute has arisen within the Osun State Judicial Service Commission concerning the appointment of its secretary.
• Abosede Fagbola, the current secretary and a lawyer, was transferred to a teaching hospital and allegedly locked out of her office.
• Isiaka Alao, who is not a lawyer, was appointed acting secretary, raising questions about legal compliance.
• A gazetted law in Osun State explicitly requires the Judicial Service Commission secretary to be a career lawyer.
• Ms. Fagbola had previously transferred Mr. Alao, and she views her subsequent transfer as punitive, demanding its reversal.

The appointment of Mr. Alao, a non-lawyer, as acting secretary directly contravenes this clear statutory requirement.

A significant disagreement has emerged within the Osun State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) regarding the appointment of its secretary, potentially leading to a fresh crisis in the Osun State Judiciary. This dispute reportedly intensified recently, culminating in the alleged lockout of the incumbent secretary, Abosede Fagbola, from her office. Observations made last Wednesday and Friday confirmed that the secretary's office remained inaccessible.

The core of the conflict stems from the controversial transfer of Ms. Fagbola, a lawyer, to the Osun State University Teaching Hospital. This directive was communicated through a memo from the Office of the Head of Service. Following her transfer, Isiaka Alao, who serves as the commission's Assistant Director of Administration and Supplies, was appointed to assume the role of acting JSC secretary. This appointment has immediately raised concerns about adherence to the Osun Judicial Service Commission secretary legal requirement, as Mr. Alao is not a lawyer.

The sequence of events leading to the current Osun State Judicial Service Commission dispute began with Ms. Fagbola's actions in her capacity as secretary. Acting under the direct instruction of Justice Adepele Ojo, the state Chief Judge and chairperson of the commission, Ms. Fagbola initiated the Abosede Fagbola transfer Osun JSC of Mr. Alao to the Osun State Customary Court of Appeal. This transfer was formalized in a letter dated September 14, 2026, bearing reference number JSC/OS/TRD/2026/001.

However, just four days later, on September 18, 2026, Ms. Fagbola herself received a directive for her deployment. A circular from the Public Service Office, issued by O. Omishakin on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Public Service Office, Office of the Head of Service (Reference No. SMD.3/Vol.VI/135), mandated her transfer to the UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital. Concurrently, this same directive instructed Isiaka Alao Osun JSC secretary to assume the acting secretarial role. Ms. Fagbola has since petitioned the commission's vice-chairman, who is also the President of the Customary Court of Appeal, alleging that Mr. Alao resisted his initial transfer and characterizing her own deployment as punitive, demanding its reversal.

Central to this unfolding controversy is a specific legal provision governing the JSC secretary qualification Nigeria. A gazetted law, known as the Retirement Age Law Osun State on the Office of CR of Osun State High Court of Justice, CR Customary Court of Appeal, explicitly stipulates the requirements for the commission's secretary. This law, signed by Simeon Amusan, the Clerk of the House, and Adewale Egbedun, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, mandates that the individual holding the position of secretary, who also functions as the accounting officer, "must be a career lawyer in the service of the Osun State Government."

The appointment of Mr. Alao, a non-lawyer, as acting secretary directly contravenes this clear statutory requirement. This situation underscores the critical importance of adhering to established legal frameworks for public service appointments, particularly within judicial bodies. The resolution of this Osun State Judicial Service Commission dispute will set a significant precedent regarding the enforcement of legal qualifications for key administrative roles within the state's judicial system.

Lawyers and compliance officers in Osun State should closely monitor the resolution of this dispute, as it directly questions the adherence to statutory requirements for key judicial administrative appointments, potentially impacting the legitimacy of the Judicial Service Commission's actions and setting a precedent for future public service appointments in the state.

Source: Original reporting via The PUNCH.