143 OORELOPE WORKERS: FOUNDATION PETITIONS MAKINDE OVER UNIMPLEMENTED COURT JUDGMENT

IBADAN — The Ojoge-Daniel Human Rights Foundation has petitioned the Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, over the alleged failure to implement a court judgment involving 143 workers of Oorelope Local Government Council, Oyo State.

The Foundation, also known as JÀFẸ̀TỌ́-Ẹ — Stand Up for Your Rights, is demanding the implementation of the judgment and a transparent account of the salaries, allowances and other entitlements allegedly due to the affected workers.

The intervention centres on Suit No. NICN/IB/16/2013 — Ojeleye Joseph Adedeji & 112 Others v. Oorelope Local Government Council, which, according to documents presented by the Foundation, resulted in a consent judgment directing the reinstatement of the affected workers without loss of privileges and the payment of their accrued entitlements.

The Foundation further stated that subsequent proceedings in Appeal Nos. CA/IB/434/2017 and CA/IB/M.156/2018 were struck out on May 19 and 20, 2025 respectively.

Against this background, the organisation is asking why the judgment has allegedly remained unimplemented years after the court process.

In a statement signed by its Co-Founder and President, Chief (Mrs.) Bolawale Sobowale Ojoge-Daniel, the Foundation said the affected workers were not merely names contained in court documents but individuals with families and responsibilities.

“Justice cannot live permanently between the covers of a court judgment. At some point, it must leave the pages of the law and enter the lives of the human beings for whom that judgment was delivered,” she said.

Ojoge-Daniel added that some of the affected workers had reportedly died while waiting for the outcome of the matter to translate into practical relief for them and their families.

The Foundation said it had formally approached Governor Makinde and the Executive Chairman of Oorelope Local Government Council, seeking a lawful, transparent and humane resolution of the matter.

It also requested that the council provide a definite timetable for implementing the judgment and an account of funds appropriated, released, received or paid in connection with the workers’ claims.

The organisation further raised allegations that salaries or entitlements belonging to some of the affected workers may have been collected, diverted or otherwise improperly handled by certain individuals or political office holders.

However, the Foundation stressed that it had not found any person guilty of wrongdoing, describing the claims as allegations requiring investigation by the appropriate authorities.

It said that if satisfactory clarification was not provided, it might petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate and trace relevant appropriations, releases and payments.

According to the Foundation, such an investigation would not only serve the interest of the affected workers but could also clear the names of public officers who might have been wrongly associated with the allegations.

The Foundation has also invited the Executive Chairman of Oorelope Local Government Council, or an authorised representative, to appear before its People’s Parliament and Court of Public Opinion to present the council’s position.

It said the platform would operate on the principle of audi alteram partem — hear the other side — stressing that it was not intended to replace the courts or pronounce anyone guilty without evidence.

The Foundation maintained that its intervention was aimed at promoting dialogue, transparency and peaceful resolution of the dispute.

It called on Governor Makinde to personally intervene and ensure that the legal and financial position surrounding the judgment was clarified.

The organisation said the issue should not be treated as a political confrontation, but as a matter concerning judicial authority, workers’ rights, public accountability and confidence in democratic institutions.

The Foundation said: “The strength of democratic institutions is demonstrated not merely by the judgments courts deliver, but by the willingness of governments and public authorities to respect and implement lawful judicial decisions.”

It appealed to the Oyo State Government, Oorelope Local Government Council and other relevant authorities to give the matter urgent attention.

The organisation also urged journalists, civil society groups, labour-rights advocates and legal practitioners to monitor the matter responsibly while allowing all parties to present their positions.

It concluded with a call for “Law, Dialogue, Transparency, Accountability and Democratic Responsibility,” insisting:

“Let justice leave the paper and reach the people.”