SDP chairman decries dilapidated Ondo high court, urges judicial reforms
By Boye Oyeyemi –
The Ondo State Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Barrister Gbenga Akinbuli, has criticised the condition of High Court 1 in Oka, Ondo Town, describing the facility as a symbol of deep-rooted neglect in the state’s judicial system.
In an open letter to the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Olukayode Ajulo, Akinbuli lamented the poor state of the court, citing leaking roofs, inadequate seating, and general infrastructural decay.
He said the court’s deteriorating state not only undermines the delivery of justice but also reflects a troubling disregard for the rule of law.
“As a legal practitioner, an indigene of Ondo Town, and the State Chairman of the SDP, a party committed to the welfare of the people, I am compelled to speak out against the alarming state of High Court 1. The ongoing rainy season has laid bare the extent of the rot, revealing a justice system buckling under years of neglect,” he said.
Akinbuli questioned whether Dr. Ajulo was aware of the court’s condition or had chosen to ignore the hardships faced by judges, lawyers, litigants, and court staff.
“I remember clearly when Dr. Ajulo spoke passionately about court reforms. But if what we see in Ondo Town is what he meant—leaking roofs, poor furniture, and a demoralising environment—then it is far from the reform we need,” he said.
The SDP chairman also called for the immediate implementation of full financial autonomy for the judiciary in Ondo State, urging the Attorney General to advise Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa accordingly.
