The Osun State House of Assembly has disagreed with Governor Ademola Adeleke on his reversal of the state’s appellation from the “State of Osun” to “Osun State” as he announced in his inaugural address on Sunday.
In a statement on Monday, the House committee chairman on media and publicity, Hon. Kunle Akande said that the adoption of the name, “State of Osun” by the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola administration in 2011 is “a matter of law”.
The statement reads: “The usage of the state anthem, crest and flag is an enactment of law and as such, its usage is a matter of law and not choice.
“The enactment of ‘State of Osun anthem, crest and flag law, 2012’ assented to on the 18th December 2012, contained in Schedule I, II, III, IV and V, which carefully details every component of this law is not in ambiguity.
“Schedule I is the State Anthem, Schedule II has to do with the State Crest, Schedule III is the symbolic significance of the symbolic significance of the elements in the Flag.
“Lastly, while we are aware of a court judgment in effect recognising ‘Osun State’, the Assembly, pending the determination and exhaustion of all legal means, would not be drawn into this matter.
“However, the state shall and will continue to be described as the ‘State of the Virtuous’ (Ipinle Omoluabi).”
The state government, under the administration of Rauf Aregbesola, had announced the renaming of Osun State as “State of Osun” in 2011.
But in 2017, an Osun State High Court sitting in Ilesa declared that the renaming is illegal and, therefore, null and void.
