24 hours after inauguration as Osun governor: Adeleke dethrones 2 first class monarchs, one other, sacks 12,000 workers

Barely 24 hours after his inauguration as governor of Osun state, Senator Ademola Adeleke approved the sack of 12,000 workers and also ordered the dethronement of three monarchs.

 Similarly, Governor Adeleke nullified the appointment of 30 Permanent Secretaries and suspended the chairman and members of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC).

The affected monarchs include Akinrun of Ikinrun Oba Yinusa Akadiri; Aree of Ire Oba Ademola Oluponle(the immediate past chairman of the All Progressives Congress in the state) and Owa of Igbajo, Oba Gboyega Famodun. While Akinrun and Owa are first class, the Iree monarch is second class.

The governor gave a marching order to security operatives to take over their palaces.

Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Olawale Rasheed, announced the government’s decisions in a statement Monday in Osogbo.

He said the new governor signed the Executive orders which covered chieftaincy matters, appointments issues, setting up of review panel, staff audit and employment matters.

“All employments in the service of Osun State Government made in any capacity into any capacity in all the Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Commissions, Boards and Parastatals after July 17th, 2022 be and are hereby nullified.

“Executive Order number five on Chieftaincy Affairs and appointment of traditional rulers. All appointments of traditional rulers made by Osun State Government after 17th July, 2022, are hereby ordered to be reviewed to ensure there was strict compliance with due process of chieftaincy declarations and native law, custom and tradition relating to such chieftaincies. In the case of Ikirun, Iree and Igbajo, to avoid further breakdown of law and order, the appointments of Akinrun of Ikinrun, Aree of Ire and Owa of Igbajo are hereby put on hold pending review. Subsequently, the palaces of Akinrun of Ikirun, Aree of Iree and Owa of Igbajo should remain unoccupied, while security agencies are hereby ordered to take charge,” the statement said.

In yet another statement, Secretary to Osun State Government (OSSG) Tesleem Igbalaye, also announced the suspension of the chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), Mr. Segun Oladitan and all its members namely; Yusuf Oyeniran, Suibat Adubi, Prince Yinka Ajiboye, Abosede Omibeku, Dosu Gidigbi, and Wahab Adewoyin.

He noted that the suspension was sequel to several petitions bordering on financial impropriety, dereliction of duty, absenteeism and abuse of office against the said OSIEC chair and the entire membership.

“Pending the outcome of an investigation into the allegations against the suspended chairman and members of the Commission, the secretary to the Commission shall hold forth in running the affairs of the Commission,” the statement added.

‘Publish list of sacked workers’

Meanwhile, Ismail Omipidan, the spokesperson to the immediate past Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, has described the claim by the governor as not only false but unfounded.

He challenged “the government to publish the list of the purported 12, 000 workers, asking, what is the entire workforce of the State?”

“Once a lie is told, you need a one and thousand lies to cover it up. In no distant future, the people of Osun will know who the real liars are.”

Assembly counters Adeleke 

In a related development, the Osun state House of Assembly has countered Governor Adeleke over the Executive Orders he made on the state’s logo, anthem and emblem.

Chairman House Committee on Media and Publicity Moshood Akande made the lawmakers’ position known in a statement Monday in Osogbo.

Adeleke had, during his inauguration, reversed the state’s appellation to ‘State of the Living Spring’ from the ‘State of the Virtuous.’

He had also removed the state logo from the governor’s podium and shunned the state anthem at his campaign office where he sworn in the new appointees.

Subsequently, the state flag in front of government office, Abere, were removed and replaced with the PDP flags.

Rejecting the governor’s decision however, the House said the “State shall and will continue to be described as the State of the Virtuous (Ipinle Omoluabi) despite the changes to State of the Living Spring” by Adeleke.

The state assembly maintained that usage of the state anthem, crest and flag is an enactment of law and as such, its usage is a matter of law and not by choice.

“The State of Osun House of Assembly having reviewed the inaugural speech of the governor and the activities of the inauguration hereby resolves as follows; The enactment ‘State of Osun Anthem, Crest and Flag Law, 2012’ assented to on the 18th of December, 2012 contained in Schedule I, Il, Ill, IV and V, which carefully details every component of this law is not in ambiguity.

“Schedule I is the State Anthem, Schedule II has to do with the State Crest, Schedule III is the symbolic significance of the elements in the Flag.

“Lastly, while we are aware of a court judgment in effect recognizing “Osun State,” the Assembly, pending the determination and exhaustion of all legal means would not be drawn into this matter.

“However, the State shall and will continue to be described as the State of the Virtuous (Ipinle Omoluabi),” the statement added.