First Day in Office: Adeleke On Vengeance Mission, Sacks 12,000 Workers, Fires Three Monarchs

… Observers Say, “Governor is in a mission to shoot himself in the feet”

By AbuStar Hamed

OSOGBO – Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke seems to be on a vengeance mission as he has in his first day in office sent 12,000 Osun State workers to the unemployment market and ordered the dethronement of three monarchs.

The Governor, barely 24 hours after his inauguration also nullified the appointment of 30 Permanent Secretaries and suspended the chairman and members of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC).

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 the palace immediately, while asking security operatives to take over.

According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Adeleke, Olawale Rasheed on Monday, November 28, 2022, the new Governor signed the Executives 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 July 17th, 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.”

It would be recalled that the immediate past Governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola employed over 12,000 workers and appointed 30 permanent secretaries.

A statement by the Secretary to Osun State Government, Tesleem Igbalaye, also announced the suspension of the chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), Mr. Segun Oladitan and its members.

They are: Yusuf Oyeniran, Suibat Adubi, Prince Yinka Ajiboye, Abosede Omibeku, Dosu Gidigbi, and Wahab Adewoyin.

He noted that the suspension was 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.

However, observers of the unfolding events interviewed in Osogbo by StarTrend Int’l magazine on the new development in the state were of the opinion that governance has gone past such vengeance mission embarked upon by the new governor.

They were of the opinion that those sacked would have at least ten people benefiting from their appointment; hence the “governor is in a mission to shoot himself in the feet.”

The people of diverse background who declined to disclose their identity during the interviews noted that the governor should rather concentrate on how he would make a difference in the governance of Osun State.

“I don’t know why this man chose the path of vengeance when we expected him to reconcile himself and the opposition”, an aged man noted in Osogbo.

An elderly woman from Ile-Ife also posited, “We expected the new governor to run a good government, inclusive and participatory governance, which his predecessor ran that made the state a peaceful one.”

A male student who spoke with our reporter in Ilesha enthused, “this is not what we the youths of Osun State voted for.

“Truly we want a change, but not this type of revenge mission.

“Many of those the governor relieved of their appointment are our fathers and mothers. Is it a sin to vote for fresh breath as we were made to believe”?, the youth asked rhetorically.

It would be recalled that Senator Ademola Adeleke, had on Sunday, November 27, 2022, taken the oath of office and assumed power as the sixth democratically elected governor of Osun State.

Chief Judge of Osun State, Justice Adepele Ojo, administered the oath of allegiance and oath of office to Adeleke and his deputy, Kola Adewusi, at the Osogbo township stadium.

In his first official acts as governor, Adeleke, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), announced changes on a broad range of policies and issues.

He abolished the “State of Osun” appellation, which was promulgated by one of his predecessors, Rauf Aregbesola, froze all state accounts, reversed all appointments made by his predecessor, Adegboyega Oyetola, from July 17, when he was declared governor-elect, and promised to correct past injustices, corrupt acts, and bad policies of the immediate past administration.

Adeleke had beaten his predecessor, Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to win the July 16 governorship election in Osun State.