Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, the new governor of Osun State, has ordered the immediate reversion of the appellation 'State of Osun' to the constitutionally recognized Osun State.
He also ordered that the official State's name be changed from 'State of the Virtues' to the original 'State of the Living Spring.'
Governor Adeleke, who was sworn in as Osun State's sixth civilian governor on Sunday at the Osogbo Township Stadium by Justice Adepele Ojo, also ordered the immediate freezing of all State government accounts in banks and other financial institutions.
He also announced the immediate formation of a panel to conduct an inventory and recover all government assets, as well as the immediate formation of a panel to review all appointments and major decisions made by Gboyega Oyetola's administration after July 17, 2022.
Adeleke, who promised to meet the expectations of workers, traders, artisans, farmers, business owners, students, pensioners, traditional and religious leaders, and indeed all Osun State residents, vowed to boldly correct any past injustice, corrupt acts, or policies by any previous administration that were against the collective interest of the people.
While pledging his commitment to be accessible, responsive, consultative and proactive in handling small and big matters of state governance, the new governor promised to demonstrate a high sense of urgency, transparency, justice and innovation to tackle and solve the problems of poverty, illiteracy, disease, and poor infrastructure.
Highlighting his party’s five-point agenda namely, welfare of workers and pensioners, boosting the state’s economy, home-grown infrastructure policy, people-focused policy on education, affordable healthcare, security and social welfare, Adeleke promised to release a detailed programme of action on each of the agenda very soon.
While promising to ensure local government autonomy in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, he pledged his determination to restore what he described as the lost glory of local government system in order to make them the third tier of government responsive to the needs of the people at the grassroots.
His words: “All policies that are not favourable to the growth of effective local government administration will be reviewed in accordance with the law.
“No form of illegality will be allowed to stand and all acts of impunity committed by the immediate past administration on local government administration will be reversed following due process.
“My administration will restore the integrity of the civil service which has been bastardised through favouritism and political considerations.
“We will give the civil service a better orientation with a view to restoring its professionalism. In doing this, we will be fair and firm as we act only in pursuance of public interest.