Barely a day in charge of Osun State, Governor Ademola Adeleke has continued to reverse many of the decisions of his predecessor, Gboyega Oyeleke.
On Monday, he sacked 12,000 workers recently appointed by the immediate past governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola; and also dethroned three traditional rulers.
Adeleke also nullified the appointment of 30 permanent secretaries and suspended the chairman and members of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC).
Following his inauguration on Sunday, Adeleke ordered that all operational bank accounts of the state government be frozen. He also reversed policies introduced by former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who was Oyetola’s predecessor.
It would be recalled that Adeleke had vowed to review all appointments that Oyetola made since 17th July when the All-Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate lost the bid for re-election.
Adeleke also issued an Executive Order to reverse the policies of Aregbesola, which recognised Osun State as the “State of Osun”.
In place of the slogan, the “State of Virtue”, he announced the “State of Living Spring”.
The affected monarchs include Akinrun of Ikinrun Oba Yinusa Akadiri; Aree of Ire Oba Ademola Oluponle and Owa of Igbajo, Oba Gboyega Famodun. He ordered the monarch to vacate their palaces, asking security operatives to take over.
A statement by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Olawale Rasheed on Monday stated that Adeleke signed the Executive Orders, which “covered chieftaincy matters, appointments issues, setting up of review panel, staff audit and employment matters.”
The release reads: “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 17th July 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”.
Another statement by the secretary to the state government, Tesleem Igbalaye, announced the suspension of OSIEC Chairman, Mr Segun Oladitan and the commission’s members.
They are: Yusuf Oyeniran, Suibat Adubi, Prince Yinka Ajiboye, Abosede Omibeku, Dosu Gidigbi, and Wahab Adewoyin.
Igbalaye noted that the suspension was a sequel to several petitions bothering on financial impropriety, dereliction of duty, absenteeism and abuse of office against the commission’s members.
“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 further stated.
