Ekiti Judiciary Holds Special Court Sitting to Honour Late CJ

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

The Ekiti State Judiciary, yesterday, organised a special court sitting in honour of the late Chief Judge of Ekiti State and immediate past Oluyin of  Iyin Ekiti, Oba Justice Ademola Ajakaye.

In his valedictory speech at the event held in Ado Ekiti, the State Chief Judge, Justice John Adeyeye, described late Oba Ajakaye as “an astute judicial officer, epitome of excellence, cool and calm personality and one who didn’t give to frivolities.”

Justice Adeyeye added that these qualities reflected in qualities of his judgments in any case handled during his time on the bench.

He said: “Late Oba Ajakaye during his life time performed creditably well as the pioneer Chief Judge of Ekiti State, despite little or no infrastructure on ground and worsened by paucity of funds occasioned largely by lack of take-off grants for the newly created states.

“He confronted the challenges headlong and succeeded in laying a solid foundation for Ekiti State Judiciary and managed available funds prudently to the admiration of brother judges and members of staff”.

Citing some of his achievements, Justice Adeyeye said: “Oba Ajakaye expanded Judicial Divisions in Ekiti from four to eight, increased number of judges from eight to fifteen, Magistracy from eight to 17, while additional 12 Customary Courts were also created with rent Tribunals established in each LGA’s

“He computerisedd Law Library established at the headquarter in Ado Ekiti. I commiserate on behalf of Ekiti State Judiciary with friends, families, former colleagues, Christian brethren, people of Iyin Ekiti and Ekiti State in general on the loss of this great national asset of Ekiti extraction.”

Also, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ekiti State, Hon. Wale Fapohunda (SAN), and the chairmen of Ado, Ikole and Ikere Ekiti branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), described the late monarch as “simple, forthright, hardworking and honest.

“The respect for the bar during his reign as the chief judge was unquantifiable, as exhibited during appointment of judges which was not only rancour–free, but full of intrigues and politicking least expected of the jurists.”

“Late Oba Ademola Ajakaye achievements were during his leadership of Ekiti State Judiciary because the governor of Ekiti State then, did not stifle or undermine the powers of Ekiti State Judiciary financially, administratively or otherwise.

“We pray for the return of those glorious days to Ekiti State”.

Oba Justice Ademola Ajakaye was born in 1938. He had his elementary and secondary education at Iyin Ekiti, Kwara State and Osun State respectively. He attended the Holborn College of Law and inner Temple Inns of Court in London in 1961; he attended Nigerian Law School in 1965 and called to the bar in 1966.

He was a commissioner in Western State Nigeria under Col. David Jemibewon in 1975.

He was appointed a High Court Judge of Ondo State in August, 1984, but was officially inaugurated as the pioneer Chief Judge of Ekiti State on January 20, 1997.

He bowed out in 2003 after attaining the constitutional mandatory retirement age and after putting up 19 years of meritorious and unblemished service.

He was appointed 4th Administrator of The National Judicial Institute, Abuja, the position he held until 22nd December 2005, when he ascended the throne of his forefathers as the 17th Oluyin of Iyin Ekiti.