An Osun State High Court sitting in Ilesa last week submitted that Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s action in renaming the state and changing it from ‘Osun State’ to ‘State of Osun’ is illegal, null and void. The presiding judge, Justice Yinka Afolabi ruled that the law and its makers were unknown to the 1999 Constitution, in a ruling that took him more close to two hours, Afolabi condemned the governor for taking a unilateral decision in renaming the state, contrary to the stated norms and the dictates of the constitution. He also clarified that the makers of the law, who are currently serving as members of the State House of Assembly, were not sworn in as members of the ‘State of Osun House of Assembly’ but rather as members of ‘Osun State House of Assembly’ going by the seventh schedule of the constitution. Global Excellence learned that the case was instituted by an activist, Barrister Kanmi Ajibola, who had challenged the legality of the ‘State of Osun Land Use Charge Law’. The dude had gone to court in 2016, asking for certain reliefs after being served a notice by a private company, ‘Interspatial Limited’ on 15th of August 2016 under the name ‘State of Osun Land Use Charge Annual Demand Notice’ and signed by A. Ogunlumade, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance addressed to him as the property owner of No. 42, Onigbogi Street off Ibala, Ilesa West. Among the reliefs sought was a declaration that the ‘State of Osun Land Use Charge Law 2016’ having been enacted by a legislative body that is not known to the constitution and the state not known to the 1999 constitution, be declared illegal and unconstitutional. Osun State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Dr Basiru Ajibola, however, stated decision to challenge the ruling at an appellate court. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola on assumption of office as governor in November 2010, introduced state anthem, launched new logo for the state and also got the state renamed as the ‘State of Osun’.
