Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), has described the Vice Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, as a competent professional who laid the foundation for an efficient judiciary in Lagos during his time as the Attorney-General.
Osinbajo, who was the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice under the administration of former Governor Bola Tinubu, was picked on Wednesday as the running mate for the APC Presidential candidate in the 2015 general elections, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.
Fashola, who attributed what he described as an efficient and incorruptible Lagos State judiciary toOsinbajo, said he wished him well in his new journey.
The governor spoke at the Adeyemi Bero Hall, Alausa, Ikeja, during the swearing in of three new judges of the Lagos State High Court. He said, “He (Osinbajo) has started a new journey.
The vision of an efficient and incorruptible judiciary in Lagos State started under his watch. So I wish my brother and friend, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the very best in his journey.”Fashola said that Osinbajo’s legacies as a former AG of the state was instrumental to the quality of judicial officers it now boasts, including the three newly sworn in judges.In the same vein, the current AG of the state, Mr. Ade Ipaye, in a statement on Thursday said, “Prof. Osinbajo is by far the most impactful contributor to improvements seen in the Nigerian justice system since the end of the military rule in 1999.
During his tenure, the idea of bringing justice to the people became entrenched, particularly with the establishment of the Office of the Public Defender and the Citizens Mediation Centre. Both agencies have since benefited millions of Nigerians directly or indirectly by way of free legal service, free representation in court and free mediation services.”
According to Ipaye, all the innovations introducedby Osinbajo have become the standard across thenation, having been adopted by several other states of the federation.
Ipaye said, “In fact, we believe that his key contributions to the success of that administration(1999 to 2007) are clear testimony to the great potentials of the next APC government, once elected into office in February 2015.”
