Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has signed the Osun State Park Management Bill into law, introducing a new framework for the management of motor parks and transport operations across the state.
The governor signed the legislation on Monday at the Government House in Osogbo, following its passage by the Osun State House of Assembly. The law provides for the regulation and digital administration of commercial transportation, motor parks, terminals, loading points and related transport infrastructure.
With the signing, the state government also proscribed the activities of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Osun.
Adeleke said the new law was aimed at addressing longstanding challenges in the management of the state’s transport park system and modernising the sector for the benefit of commuters and operators.
“I applaud the Speaker and members of the Assembly for always acting in the best interest of the state. I have gone through the bill as passed by the Assembly and I am convinced that it is the best solution to the perennial crisis and challenges facing the Osun transportation park system,” the governor said.
He assured stakeholders that implementation of the law would commence immediately and that the interests of Osun residents and other stakeholders would be accommodated in the new system.
The legislation seeks to introduce greater structure and accountability into motor park operations, including the digitalisation of ticketing and measures to curb violence, thuggery and extortion.
The development follows months of disputes and violence linked to the control of motor parks in Osun. In September, Adeleke ordered rival groups to vacate parks and garages across the state after the killing of his political associate, Olalekan Oyeyemi, popularly known as Emir Ajagungbade, in Ile-Ife.
The governor had subsequently announced plans to reintroduce the Park Management System as part of measures to restore order in the state’s motor parks.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, House Speaker Adewale Egbedun said the Assembly followed its standing rules in processing and passing the legislation.
Egbedun said the new law addressed concerns surrounding the management of transportation parks in the state and would provide a structured framework for the sector.
The legislation had faced opposition from the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, which questioned the constitutional authority of the state government to regulate and manage public motor parks. The House of Assembly rejected the argument and maintained that the legislation was within its law-making powers.
The new law is expected to provide the legal framework for the state’s Park Management System and reshape the administration of motor parks and transport operations across Osun.
