Lagos Assembly confirm another female Chief Judge …. makes Teaching Of Yoruba Compulsory In schools
The Lagos State House of Assembly at plenary on Thursday confirmed Hon. Justice Opeyemi Olufunmilayo Oke as the new Chief Judge of the State.
Justice Oke who was appointed the Acting Chief Judge of the state two months ago following the retirement of the former Chief Justice of the state, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade become the third consecutive female Chief Judge of the state.
The governor had earlier forwarded the name of Justice Oke to the State Assembly about two months ago in line with the constitutional provisions for confirmation as the substantive Chief Judge of the State.
With her appointment, Hon. Justice Oke follows in the line of the last female Chief Justices of the state after Justice Ayotunde Phillips and Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade both retired.
Responding to questions from lawmakers just before her confirmation, Justice Oke expressed her support for the controversial death penalty to serve as a deterrent and went ahead to challenge state governors to sign awaiting death warrants in their various states as a means to discouraging people from unnecessary killings.
She explained further the need to sustain the death penalty, saying that those who kill others should be killed to serve as a deterrent to others.
“Those who kill others should be killed. I challenge the state governors to sign death warrants so that people would be discouraged from killing others. So I am for the death penalty,” she explained.
The new Chief Judge was asked questions ranging from prison decongestion, delay of cases in courts, integrity of the Judiciary, establishment of more Courts, Judiciary handling of rape cases as well as Capital punishment at which she expressed her backing amongst others.
The newly confirmed number one Judge in the state took time to address the issue of juvenile delinquency and hard drugs amongst the undergraduates in the country. The Chief Judge assured the lawmakers that foster homes would be created to house juvenile prisoners in the state.
Justice Opeyemi Olufunmilayo Oke, who was born in 1954, studied law at the University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University and the Nigerian Law School.
She worked briefly at her father’s chamber, Okesanya and Okesanya & Co. before proceeding to the United States of America for Masters Degree in Criminal Justice Administration and specialise in Criminology and Juvenile delinquency.
She joined the Lagos State Government, and started her career with the state government as Chief Magistrate and later worked as Chairman of Armed Robbery Tribunal, Election Petition Tribunal and handled civic cases as well as land cases.
The House of Assembly also on Thursday passed the Bill making the teaching of Yoruba Language compulsory in schools in the state into law.
The passage of the bill was sequel to the Bill successfully scaling through the Third Reading on the floor of the House.
The Bill among others, make the teaching of Yoruba Language compulsory in all schools I the state, both private and public by including it as a core subject at all levels; and that state owned tertiary institutions shall incorporate the use of the language as a course unit into their General Nigeria Studies (GNS).
After the First Reading of the Bill, a public hearing in which stakeholders in the education sector were invited to offer input into the Bill was organised after which the Bill successfully went through the Second Reading.
The Bill provided for a fine of N500,000 for a corporate offender while any school in the state which fails to comply with the law faces closure and a fine of N250,000.
The Bill was finally passed on Thursday with the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa directing the Clerk of the House, Mr Azeez Sanni to send a clean draft copy of the Bill to the state governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode for his assent.
