Osun:Adeleke freezes state account,reverses appointments by Oyetola

Sen. Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was sworn into office on  Sunday,November 27th, at the Osogbo City Stadium by the Chief Judge of Osun state,Justice Adepele Ojo. 

He immediately became the sixth executive governor of Osun state and one of his first points of action was to order the freezing of the state’s accounts in banks and in other financial institutions.

Earlier, Justice Ojo had also administered the oath of allegiance to Adeleke’s deputy, Mr Kola Adewusi.

Adeleke was the successor of former Gov. Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He directed an immediate return to the status quo ante of all appointments, placements and other major decisions made by the Oyetola’s administration from July 17th, the day after the governorship election which he won  in the state.

Adeleke announced that a panel would be set up to conduct an inventory of government assets and recover those in the wrong hands.

The governor ordered an immediate reversal to the Constitutionally-recognised name of the state as Osun State from the former “State of Osun’’.

The penultimate governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, now Minister of Interior had been the one who changed the name of the state from Osun State to the State of Osun.

“All government insignia, correspondences and signages should henceforth reflect Osun State, rather than `State of Osun’, which is unknown to the Nigerian Constitution.

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

He assured citizens of the state that all directives he gave on Sunday would be backed with appropriate executive orders. He said that as governor, he would meet the Osun people’s expectations as the Chief Security Officer of the state.

He said his administration would also demonstrate a high sense of urgency, transparency, justice and innovation to tackle and solve the problems of poverty, illiteracy, disease, and poor infrastructure in the state.

“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 will not be misplaced,’’ he said.

Adeleke said that all policies that were not favourable to the growth and effective local government administration would be reviewed in accordance with the law.

He assured labour unions in the state of his administration’s willingness to protect workers’ interests and to promote their welfare at all times, adding that he would be labour-friendly.

The governor frowned at what he described as mass employment by the immediate past administration without financial backing.

He pleaded with workers to give him a few weeks to review and sort out all “malicious actions and confusions’’ that the immediate past administration had created since July 17.