Our reporter| The newly sworn-in governor of Osun state, Ademola Adeleke, on Monday ordered the suspension of Segun Oladitan, chairperson of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC).
Tesleem Igbalaye, secretary to the state government, who made the disclosure in a statement, said the suspension of the OSIEC chairperson and members of the commission is hinged on alleged financial impropriety and abuse of office.
“Gov. Adeleke has directed the immediate suspension of the Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), Mr. Segun Oladitan. Others are Mr. Yusuf Oyeniran, Alhaja Suibat Adubi, Prince Yinka Ajiboye, Mrs. Abosede Omibeku, Mr. Dosu Gidigbi, and Mr. Wahab Adewoyin,” the statement reads.
The governor said the secretary of the commission will act in place of the chairperson pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation.
“This suspension is sequel to several petitions bothering on financial impropriety, dereliction of duty, absenteeism, and abuse of office against the said Chairman and members of the Commission,” he said.
“Pending the outcome of the investigation, the secretary of the commission shall hold forth in running the affairs of the commission.”
The governor has also reversed the appointment of three traditional rulers, saying it will be reviewed to ensure there was strict compliance with due process of chieftaincy declarations and native law.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Adeleke was sworn in as the sixth governor of Osun state on Sunday and promised to review decisions taken by past administrations during his inauguration speech.
-Osun Assembly counters Adeleke over rejection of ‘state of Osun’
Meanwhile, the Osun state house of assembly on Monday said the state will continue to be referred to as ‘state of Osun’ as against ‘Osun state’.
Governor Adeleke had in his inauguration speech on Sunday, ordered an immediate reversal to ‘Osun state’ instead of ‘state of Osun’, which was adopted during the Rauf Aregbesola administration.
But in a statement on Monday, Kunle Akande, the house committee chairman on media and publicity said the adoption of ‘state of Osun’ is “a matter of law”.
“The 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 choice,” the statement reads.
“The enactment of ‘state of Osun anthem, crest and flag law, 2012’ assented to on the 18th of December, 2012, contained in Schedule I, II, III, 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 symbolic significance of the elements in the Flag.
“Lastly, while we are aware of a court judgment in effect recognising “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 state government, under the administration of Rauf Aregbesola, had announced the renaming of Osun state as the “state of Osun” in 2011.
But in 2017, an Osun state high court sitting in Ilesa declared that the renaming is illegal and, therefore, null and void.
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