Bill underway to mandate solicitor-general’s appointment from justice ministry

Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has said that his government will soon originate a bill to the House of Assembly to make it mandatory that whoever will be appointed the solicitor-general or permanent secretary in the state Ministry of Justice is picked from among the staff of the ministry.

His Chief Press Secretary Idowu Adelusi quoted the governor as stating this yesterday during a meeting with lawyers in the employ of the state government.

Fayose said the era of bringing somebody from outside to head the ministry was over, and that despite the shortcomings of some people in the profession, lawyers were important to the dispensation of justice.

The governor who expressed desire to have one of his sons become a lawyer, described the legal profession as a noble one.

“Anybody that will be appointed the permanent secretary must have put in at least 15 years of service and this is to give you the hope that you can get to the top of your career. If we go and bring in people from outside, lawyers here would leave because of frustration,” he said, advising the lawyers to make themselves relevant so that other people would know their worth.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Mr Lawrence Ojo, thanked the governor for his support for the ministry, saying, “We were stagnated for over 12 years before you came on board and opened up the space by appointing two executive secretaries from among us.”