Tag: OSUN

Footballers of the Osun State United were stranded on Monday, November 20, after evacuating the federal government’s Sustainable Development Centre (SGDs), Iragbiji, where the state government relocated them for camping.

The community had issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Osun state government to evacuate the footballers, stating that the centre should be used for its creation.

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, had over the weekend criticised the state government for converting the SDG skill acquisition centre to a footballers’ camp, stressing that the decision is not acceptable and anti-youths.

It was reliably gathered by The Nation on Monday that the footballers have evacuated the facility in Iragbiji and are left stranded at Osogbo Township stadium.

When our correspondent visited Osogbo stadium, the footballers were loitering around the stadium as they had parked all their luggage from the SDG centre leaving them inside their bus.

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Speaking with one of the footballers who pleaded anonymity, he said: “We have left the SDG facility centre in Iragbiji that we are using for camping around 8 AM today. Yesterday, a top-rank police officer came to meet us at the facility around 6:30 pm, admonishing us to leave the place.

“Ever since we got to the facilities and we realised that the community is against the conversion of the FG’s skill acquisition centre to the camp for us, our mind is not at rest because our security is not guaranteed. We have to leave the place this morning.”

Another Osun United footballer lamented: “We are stranded now, we don’t know where to sleep or use for camping again. You see many of our people sleeping on the floor while others are loitering around. We heard that they might move us to Machine Tools, a moribund factory along Ikirun.”

Alhaji Adekunle AbdulWaheed Babatunde has emerged the Oba of Ekoende in Ifelodun Local Government Area, Osun State.

According to a statement from the Media office of Oba Ekoende Elect, signed by Abdul Azees Afolabi, the kingmakers arrived at the decision to select Alhaji Adekunle Abdulwaheed after a rigorous and comprehensive selection process, which involved careful evaluation of his qualifications, experience, and commitment to the betterment of Ekoende.

The new monarch is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (FCA), who has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a deep understanding of financial matters.

“The Oba elect will assume his role as the custodian of our community’s cultural heritage, a unifying figure among our people, and a liaison between the community and the government. We are confident that his wisdom, fairness, and judiciousness will guide us toward sustainable development and the overall welfare of our beloved community.

Read Also: Confusion as Osun’s acting CJ’s swearing-in fails to hold

“We call upon all residents, organisations, and government agencies to rally behind and support Alhaji Adekunle Abduwaheed Babatunde as he takes up this esteemed position. Through collaboration and unity, we can pave the way for a prosperous and harmonious future for Ekoende and its residents,” said the Media office.

The Media office of Oba Ekoende Elect also extended its heartfelt gratitude to the Osun State Government, the kingmakers, community leaders, and all those who actively participated in the selection process. “Their efforts were instrumental in ensuring a transparent and credible selection process that upholds the aspirations.

• Adeleke didn’t suspend Justice Ojo, state govt insists
• Removal of CJ unconstitutional, vindictive – APC
• Osun Assembly now tool to legitimise Executive illegality – CSOs

There is confusion in the judicial arm of government in Osun State as the Chief Justice’s office remained vacant following Governor Ademola Adeleke’s suspension of Justice Oyebola Ojo.

The Nation reports that despite an order by the National Industrial Court presided over by Justice Dele Peters that Adeleke and three others (Osun Attorney General, State Judicial Service Commission and Accountant General) should not suspend Justice Ojo, the CJ was suspended after recommendation by the Osun State House of Assembly.

In a twist to the saga yesterday, the state government denied claims that Justice Ojo was suspended by Governor Adeleke, further adding to the confusion.

Adeleke had directed his deputy governor, Kola Adewusi, to swear in Justice Yinka Afolabi in acting capacity at the Exco’s Lounge, Governor’s office by 10 am yesterday.

However, findings by The Nation revealed that the swearing in ceremony ordered by Adeleke could not hold due to procedural hiccups encountered by the executive arm.

The Commissioner of Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, confirmed yesterday that the swearing in ceremony for the acting CJ could not hold.

He said the state government was waiting for the decision of National Judicial Council (NJC) after the body was notified of the suspension of the CJ.

Alimi said: “The deputy governor just returned from Abuja this evening. He was directed to inform the NJC of the resolution of the Assembly on the development. A letter has been sent to NJC, we are waiting for the directive of NJC before further action. 

“The swearing-in could not hold. There is a vacuum in the third arm of government because the woman has been asked to step aside. But notwithstanding the vacuum, the NJC has been notified. If there is any vacuum, it is because of NJC.”

Reacting to the development, the coalition of civil society groups in Osun State under the aegis of The Osun Masterminds, through its Executive Director, Prof. Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, kicked against the removal of CJ, warning that Justice Yinka Afolabi must not avail himself for swearing in to denigrate the judicial institution.

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He added: “It is scary to think that the current Osun State House of Assembly is acting with youthful exuberance. The Osun State House of Assembly is quickly turning itself into not just a rubber-stamp Assembly but a willing tool in the hands of the executive, used to legitimise any and every illegality that the executive wants to perpetrate.”

Similarly, the All Progressives Congress (APC), through its chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, described the removal of the CJ as vindictive and unconstitutional.

He said the removal could neither sit nor fly as he called all stakeholders in the state to condemn the action

He said: “If Governor Adeleke and his apparently confused kitchen cabinet members who are thinking for him could not know the danger in inheriting another person’s enemies by staging a war against the Chief Judge on the discreet directive of a man of yesterday who has an axe to grind with the CJ during his inglorious tenure, they should be ready for the debilitating effects of the backlash of their unpopular and illegal action.

“This is the auspicious time for all the patriots in the state to condemn the humiliation of the judiciary by Governor Adeleke whose actions and inactions in the office in about the last one year of his assumption of office have eroded the achievements of his predecessors.”

Osun govt makes U-turn, denies Ojo’s supension

After a statement by the Osun State Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, admitting the suspension of Justice Ojo, the state government yesterday berated the notion that the Chief Judge was suspended by Governor Ademola Adeleke.

Justice Ojo had approached the National Industrial Court, Ibadan division over alleged plots to remove her, following which the presiding judge, Justice Dele Peters, granted a restraining order against her removal by Governor Adeleke and three others.

Alimi in a statement yesterday noted that the petition and preliminary actions on the embattled Osun State Chief Judge had been sent to the National Judicial Council (NJC).

He affirmed the that Governor Adeleke had not defied any court order, stressing that “the Osun State House of Assembly which confirmed the appointment of Mrs Ojo and asked her to step aside is not a party to any ongoing case or court order.

Alimi said: “It is safe to assert that all that are being posted online are mere stunts as the government is not aware of any pending case at this material moment.

“We also call the attention of the public that the misappropriated money over which investigation is being carried out were appropriated by the State House of Assembly and the body has constitutional right to inquire how money it appropriated was applied.

“The staff of Osun State Judiciary, who are being denied their right by the Chief Judge and some of who joined in the petition are employees of the Osun State Government under the authority of OSHA.

“We re-assure the public that appropriate representation has been made to National Judicial Council over the development and we affirm that the Chief Judge was not suspended by the Governor as being mischievously represented by some sections of the media.”

He added that “the Governor only acted on the resolution of the House. To ensure there is no vacuum, the Governor appointed an Acting Chief Judge, as prescribed by the Constitution in a situation like this. It is therefore the responsibility of the State Assembly to inform the public, NJC, and the Governor about its findings on the conclusion of its investigation, and also make resolutions on the next line of action.

 “We want to put it on record that the Governor is a law-abiding person and will not do anything to compromise the rule of law. Whenever the court processes are served on the persons listed as Defendants in the alleged suit (if any), they would take appropriate steps to react.”

The community hosting the ongoing project of M.K.O Abiola Cargo International Airport, Ido-Osun, has accused the Osun state government of plans to cede the land to the Ede community.

The community, represented by the Ido-Osun Youth Forum President, Prince Abass Adeyeye, and Secretary, Comrade Akao Opeyemi, issued a stern warning against the alleged plans of the Osun government to allocate the project land to Ede, cautioning that it could escalate into a communal conflict.

A statement signed by the community read: “We are raising this alarm to call the attention of the Osun state government to the recent high handedness of some elements in the government in their act of abuse of office privileges to cause unnecessary crisis and breach of peace in Ido-osun and Osun state at large by deliberately thwarting the governments of Ademola Adeleke goodwill intention of revamping the osun state Airport project.

“On the formation of the Airport committee, an error of interest was made in the appointment by deliberately exempting any indigene of Ido-Osun to serve in such a committee knowing fully well that the Airport is in Ido-Osun and was and never will be jointly hosted. Even the committee failed to pay a visit to the Alayemore of Ido-Osun palace when they visited the project.”

 “These entities in government immediately changed many of the airport project documents to appear in Ido-Osun, Ede North/Egbedore LGA. Also, some career officers in the ministry of land worked immediately to create fake documentation to cede some portion of Ido-Osun land to Ede north with the hope and belief that they could bury Ido-Osun as the project continued.”

Read Also: Rumpus over plot to remove Osun CJ over ‘false’ allegations

The community urged security operatives especially the Department of State Service (DSS) to investigate the matter to prevent communal clash.

Meanwhile, the commissioner for Information and Public Orientation, Kolapo Alimi denied the allegations against the government, saying, “There is no plan by Adeleke’s government to cede any land to a community. The main agenda of this government is on how to actualize the dream of the airport and the committee set up by him is still at the preliminary stage.

“We urge them to remain calm and not to provoke any violence, government will take care of the interest of everyone on the airport project.”

The coalition of civil society organizations has vowed to resist fresh moves to remove the Chief Judge of Osun State, Justice Oyebola Ojo, over false allegations.

This Nation recalled that there were moves to remove Justice Ojo in October 2023, as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Yomi Aliyu raised alarm, warning against the moves by the executive arm of Osun state to perpetrate the action.

However, the state government denied the allegation.

In a recent development, a coalition of CSOs comprising of Transparency and Accountability Group (TAG), Committee for Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Dialogue 360, and the Osun Civil Society Coalition on Wednesday raised alarm over a fresh attempt to remove the CJ.

Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Comrade Ayo Ologun at the NUJ correspondent said: “We strongly condemn the recent attempt by the Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, to illegally remove the Chief Judge of Osun state, Honorable Justice Adebola Adepele Ojo. This move is particularly troubling as it appears to be a reprisal against the Chief Judge for her principled stand against attempts to manipulate the judiciary in the state.”

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The group raised concern over the implications of the action if the CJ is removed, stressing that it will affect the integrity of the judiciary in Osun State.

The coalition demanded: “We hereby call on Governor Ademola Adeleke to respect the independence of the judiciary and immediately cease any attempts to remove the Chief Judge based on her principled stance. The judiciary must be allowed to operate without fear of reprisal or political interference, ensuring that justice is served impartially and without bias.”

They urged relevant stakeholders, including the National Judicial Council, legal associations, and the general public, to closely monitor the situation in Osun State and speak out against any actions that threaten the independence of the judiciary.

Meanwhile, reacting to the allegations, Governor Ademola Adeleke, through the commissioner for Information and public enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi denied any involvement in the plot against the CJ.

The statement read: “The government wishes to state that the constitution and the state laws clearly spell out the responsibilities of state officials. The same laws lay out rules for accountability and transparency across government sectors.

“The Governor and all government officials whether elected or appointed into any arm of government are not immune from the accountability process. The Governor is therefore not in a position to stop the legislature from doing her statutory job and neither can the Governor hamstring the judiciary in the performance of its duties.”