No more ‘state of Osun’, review of Oyetola’s decisions… Adeleke’s directives on first day in office

Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun, says he will review decisions taken by past administrations in the state.

He spoke on Sunday during his inauguration as governor, in Osogbo, the capital of the state.

Adeleke, who is a former senator representing Osun west, was elected governor on July 17.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, he alleged that his predecessor, Gboyega Oyetola, frustrated plans on ensuring a smooth handover to him.

He said since July 17, Oyetola took decisions that did not follow due process and were not in the best interest of the state.

“My good people of Osun, since you elected me as your governor on July 16, 2022, which the Independent National Electoral Commission announced on July 17, 2022, the former governor, alhaji Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola, maliciously started putting roadblocks to make things difficult and almost impossible for the new administration to serve you,” he said.

“Mass employment was carried out without budgetary provisions for salary payments for the new employees, even when the state was struggling to pay salaries and deliver other services.

“Various hurried and criminally backdated contracts were awarded and again without budgetary provisions. Appointments of several obas were hurriedly done without following due process, just to mention a few.

“All efforts to get the governor to set up a transition committee and submit handover notes in line with best practices proved abortive.

“It is, therefore, my desire to ask for your patience and understanding to give my administration a few weeks to review and sort out all the actions and malicious confusions which the immediate past administration has created since July 17, 2022.

“Those actions were indeed vindictive measures against the people of Osun state for voting them out of office.

“Consequently, I hereby issue the following directives which will be backed up with appropriate executive orders:

“Immediate freezing of all government accounts in banks and other financial institutions.

“Immediate establishment of a panel to carry out an inventory and recover all government assets.

“An immediate establishment of a panel to review all appointments and major decisions of the immediate past administration taken after July 17, 2022.

“An immediate reversal to the constitutionally recognised name of our state, Osun state. All government insignia, correspondences and signages should henceforth reflect Osun state rather than state of Osun which is unknown to the Nigerian constitution.”

The state government, under the administration of Rauf Aregbesola, had announced the renaming of Osun state as “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.

Speaking further on Sunday, the governor said he is aware of his responsibilities which involve meeting the expectations of the people.

“Therefore, I promise that those expectations of the workers, traders, artisans, farmers, business owners, students, pensioners, traditional and religious leaders, and indeed, all residents of Osun state will be met by the grace of God and the cooperation of everyone,” he said.

“Under my watch as the governor of Osun state, I will boldly correct all past injustice, corrupt acts or policies by any previous administration which are against the collective interest of our people.

“Your governor will be a people’s governor. I will be accessible, responsive, consultative, and proactive in handling small and big matters of state governance.

“I know that as a product of the collective will of you my people, there is a heavy weight of history on my shoulders and I accept the urgency of your expectations, the depth of your aspirations, and your conviction in me to build a better state.”