Ekiti State Government has condemned the former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for an alleged contempt of court, urging the judiciary to sanction him for openly violating the court’s order.
An Abuja High Court had restrained the former president from publishing and circulating his newly released autobiography, My Watch, but Obasanjo disregard the court’s order and went ahead to launch and circulate the book.
In a statement issued in Ado Ekiti yesterday by Mr Owoseni Ajayi, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice on behalf of the state government, said sanction was necessary as it would serves as deterrent to others who see themselves as super powers far and above the laws of the land.
Ajayi said the sanctity of the judiciary should be respected and protected noting that it was embarrassing that a former President could behave with impunity “disregarding the rights of other Nigerians and recently became contemptuous of court orders”.
He expressed dismay that despite the clear and unambiguous Exparte Order given by the Justice Valentine Ashi of an Abuja High Court on December 5 which had restrained Obasanjo from publishing or circulating the book before the December 10 return date that he still went ahead not only to publish but went ahead to circulate it to the whole world.
“He even castigated the judge for granting the lawful order thereby making himself an Appellate Court,” it stated.
“In the lexicon of our legal jurispudence, a court order, however frivolous, must be obeyed until discharged by that court or set aside by another court.
“It is therefore a deliberate impunity and disregard to the rule of law and our judiciary for Chief Obasanjo to disobey the said order made by a competent court of law. It stands condemnable”.
The AG pointed out that the society is governed by the rule of law, separation of power and respect to constituted authorities, said: “Nobody is immuned against these simple tenets of ensuring sanity, discipline and decorum in our society.
“Otherwise our society will revert back to the Hobenian State where life was short, nasty and brutish,” it stated.
