Billonaire business mogul and politician, Chief. Jimoh Ibrahim has donated N5million at the launching of the First Pocket Law (Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) published by Ondo State Law Commission.
The launching held after the inauguration of the board of the Ondo State Office of Public Defenders at the Cocoa Conference Hall, Governor’s Office, Alagbaka, Akure.
While making the donation as the chief launcher of the book, Barrister Ibrahim described the pocket law as an unprecedented giant stride taken by the Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu-led administration.
The Havard-trained businessman noted that the book would accelerate the adjudication of criminal cases in the state.
“This pocket law is an instrument that will enhance speedy adjudication of legal procedure on criminal matters in the state and putting this together is a giant stride by the administration of Akeredolu.
“Since the creation of this state in 1976, none of the previous administration could put this document together. This will surely remove the bottleneck encountered in the prosecution of criminal matters in the state,” Ibrahim said.
Commenting on the inauguration of the Board of Office of Public Defenders, Ibrahim noted that the agency needed to be supported financially because it’s mean to defend the underprivileged who could not afford legal charges.
According to him, This agency’s major focus is to defend the vulnerable people who are being cheated in one way or another but need justice.
“We all know that justice is not served a la carte, they will need a lawyer and Office of Public Defenders is set up to do this. But it’s common knowledge that the agency will have to file documents at the court and payments are being made for this.
“The office doesn’t generate fund, what they do are done pro bono because their clients are usually the underprivileged and for the office to have smooth operations, the officials need financial support.”
Akeredolu who was represented by his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, said the inability of Office of the Public Defender(OPD ) to function optimally since it was established in 2004 was caaused by failure to constitute the Governing Board of the agency.
“Although the Ondo State Office of the Public Defender law provides for the agency to have a Governing Board to make regulations for its operations, the OPD has not functioned optimally because members of the board were not appointed since its establishment in 2004.
“So far, no subsidiary regulations have been made to guide the OPD in carrying out it’s functions, today’s inuaguration of the Governing Board of OPD will go down in history as a testimony of our commitment to ensuring that democratic governance is about the welfare of the citizens.
“We have therefore taken this step to strengthen the office of Public Defender to defend the right of the vulnerable persons in our society and provide easy access to justice for our citizens.” Akeredolu said.
Members of the Board are Sir Charles Titiloye, Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice. Mrs Funmilayo Ogundolere, Rev. Father Damian Kehinde Adesugha, Barr Faseesin Segun Olasimbo, Mrs Faleyimu Veronica, Mr Cyril Akinrinsola and Barr Victor Falodun.