The Osun State House of Assembly has rejected the order to change the state name to “Osun State” from the “State of Osun” by Governor Ademola Adeleke.
The Governor gave the directive as soon as he was sworn-in on Sunday.
In a statement by the House Committee Chairman on Media and Publicity Kunle Akande on Monday, the state lawmakers rejected the directive because they believed the adoption of “State of Osun” 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 statement reads.
“The enactment ‘state of Osun anthem, crest and flag law, 2012’ assented to on the 18th of 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 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).”
Recall that the Rauf Aregbesola administration 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 was illegal and therefore, null and void.
