Ademola Adeleke, on Sunday, stepped in as the sixth elected governor of Osun State after being administered the oaths of allegiance and office by the state chief judge, Justice Oyebola Adepele-Ojo at about 11:45 am at the Osogbo Township Stadium.
The new governor, who entered the premises where the event was held around 11:15 am in a black jeep, was decked in white flowing ‘Agbada’ and cap.
In his inauguration speech, Adeleke directed the immediate freezing of all government accounts in banks and other financial institutions.
He also directed the immediate establishment of a panel of inquiry to carry out an inventory and recover all government assets
The governor said the immediate past administration of Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), carried out mass employment without budgetary provisions for salary payments even when the state was struggling to pay salaries and deliver other services.
Adeleke also said that various ‘hurried and criminally backdated contracts’ were also awarded without budgetary provisions. He stated further that ‘appointments of several Obas were hurriedly done without following due process, just to mention a few.’
“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, the immediate establishment of a panel to carry out an inventory and recover all government assets.
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“An immediate establishment of a panel to review all appointments and major decisions taken by the immediate past administration, 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.”
He, therefore, promised 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.
“Let me state here that from the education, health, mining sector, agriculture, road infrastructure and supply of potable water, let it be known to all that it is no longer going to be business as usual.
“Our administration will demonstrate a high sense of urgency, transparency, justice and innovation to tackle and solve the problems of poverty, illiteracy, disease, and poor infrastructure.
“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,” he stated.
The Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Ifeanyi Okowa, Governors of Edo, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Godwin Obaseki, Emmanuel Udom, Douye Diri were also part of the entourage to the capital of Osogbo for the inauguration.
Also, former governors of Osun, Ekiti and Oyo States, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Ayodele Fayose and Rasheed Ladoja respectively, graced the event ongoing at the venue.
Monarchs at the inauguration were the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Adewusi; Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Lawal; Orangun of Ila, Oba AbdulWahab Oyedotun; Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, among other monarchs.
