.Oyo CJ stresses need for convicts to observe punishment in locality, environment

The Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Iyabo Yerima, yesterday, stressed the need for convicts observing community service as a sentence to serve in the community and locality of their origin to shame them.

She said this would make the Community Service Punishment Law (CSPL) of 2016 to be effective.
Yerima, who was represented by Justice Ladiran Akinola, made the call during the yearly stakeholders’ review workshop on the community service scheme of Oyo State organised by Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) of Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan.”

The meeting was attended by lawyers, judges, magistrates, officers of the prisons, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and others.

The CJ, who stated that there is no doubt the community service would help in decongesting the correctional facilities, however, said for the law to be effective, the convicts must be made to serve in their towns and the environment and community that are local to them as their origin where they have high expectations of them.

Also, a former Attorney-General of the state and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwaseun Abimbola, who spoke at the event, said the community law in the state was a success.

He, however, said there must be ingenious ways of dealing with the funding of community service.
Director of JDPC, Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan, Rev. Fr. Jerome Ajakaiye, said: “The programme is a way to help decongest prisons as we keep sentencing people with minor offences to prison. It is to help the justice system.”

He added: The meeting was for all the stakeholders in the justice system. Since the law has been passed by the Oyo State House of Assembly, there is a need to invite stakeholders to the meeting.”

He stressed the need to design a way forward to deal with the issue of funding for the scheme to promote a speedy and humane administration of justice in Oyo State.

He thanked the stakeholders and partners for their unflinching support towards the implementation of the scheme.