Osun State House of Assembly on Monday rejected an order by Governor Ademola Adeleke to rename the state from State of Osun to Osun State.
At his inauguration on Sunday, Adeleke ordered the name of the state to be reversed to Osun State. He also ordered the reversal of the state’s appellation from “The State of the Virtues” to “The State of the Living Spring”.
Former governor Rauf Aregbesola had made the changes.
Reacting to Adeleke’s orders, the Assembly through the chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Moshood Akande, argued that the anthem, crest and flag of the state were legally assented to on December 18, 2012, and no person can exact force to change it.
The statement said, “The State of Osun House of Assembly having reviewed the inaugural speech of the Governor and the activities of the inauguration hereby resolves as follows:
“The usage of the State Anthem, Crest and Flag is an enactment of the law and as such, its usage is a matter of law and not choice.
“The enactment “State of Osun Anthem, Crest and Flag Law, 2012” assented to on December 18, 2012, contained in Schedule 1, 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, and Schedule III is the symbolic significance of the elements in the Flag.”
The lawmakers further said that the state would continue to be described as the “State of Osun” and “Ipinle Omulabi” (State of the Virtuous).
