OSUN DEFENDER brings you the tending stories in Osun State, South West Nigeria, today. Developments in the state on Thursday covered politics, crime and governance related issues as well as the trending Mohbad story.
Our reporter, Kazeem Badmus reports that the following items shaped the discourse today on both local, mainstream and social media.
1. SAN Gives Adeleke 10-day ultimatum To Pay Judges’ Allowances
An Ibadan-based lawyer, Mutalubi Ojo Adebayo (SAN), has threatened legal action against the Osun State Government and the state Judicial Service Commission over the unpaid arrears of allowances owed to all Judicial Officers in the state.
The legal luminary in a notice signed by him and dated 21st day of September, a copy sighted by OSUN DEFENDER, declared his intention to commence legal actions, giving the government till September 30, 2023, to liquidate all the arrears.
Adebayo further states that he will claim interest and aggravated damages in respect of the unpaid allowances, saying the refusal of the state government to pay amounted to disregard for the rule of law.
Reacting to the threat, the spokesperson to the Governor, Mallam Rasheed Olawale, said the lawyer’s action does not only amount to meddlesomeness but a misrepresentation and misinterpretation of employment relationship between employees and the employer.
Olawale, in a statement made available to Osun Defender yesterday, said judicial workers in the state have unions that can advance their interests if the need arises, advising the lawyer not to usurp the unions in their duties.
2. Gov. Adeleke Speaks On Mohbad’s Death As Youths Protest In Osun
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has joined others to react to the death of a promising young Nigerian artist, IleriOluwa Oladimeji popularly known as Mohbad who died last week Tuesday.
In a condolence message signed by the State Commissioner for Youth Affairs, Hon Olagunju Moshood Olalekan, Adeleke urged concerned authorities not to be found wanting in ensuring speedy dispensation of justice so as to bring the perpetrators behind the death of the young Mohbad to book.
He appreciated the Inspector General of Police who gave immediate order in ensuring that circumstances behind the death of the young artist be investigated.
While also identifying with the bereaved family over the death of their son, the governor commended youth in Osun who joined the rest of their counterparts all over Nigeria in staging a peaceful protest .
He urged the youth to continue to thread the path of legal means of earning a living as opposed to illegality which may claim their lives.
3: Protest In Osun Over Alleged Plan To Impose New Monarch
Scores of protesters who are indigenes of the Ifon community, headquarters of Orolu Local Government Area of Osun State on Thursday, September 21, stormed the state secretariat, Abere to protest against the planned imposition of the new monarch on the community.
It was gathered that the protesters marched in their numbers to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs with placards bearing several inscriptions like; “Don’t impose Moronfolu Ruling House on Us, Olufon stool is not for sale, Don’t impose on us Governor Adeleke, Allow us to decide our king and many more.”
They claimed that the government and some of its officials are planning to use outlawed Chieftaincy Declarations to appoint a new king, despite the fact that the 1979 Declarations have been used to select kings in the past.
While speaking, the leader of the protesters who is an heir to the throne, Prince Adegboyega Oyedeji from Odunolu Ruling House explained that, “the government acted on a declaration that had been outlawed by Justice Olowoofeku in suit number HOS/127/88 which the judgement was never appealed till today.
Yusuf Oketola is a trained journalist with over five years of experience in the media industry. He has worked for both print and online medium. He is a thorough-bred professional with an eye of hindsight on issues bothering on social justice, purposeful leadership, and a society where the leaders charge and work for the prosperity of the people.
