Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has drawn the ire of some Nigerians following his appointment of his late brother’s wife and son as commissioner and head of a commission, respectively.
Adeleke is being criticized on social media over the appointment of his nephew, Tunmise Adeleke Jnr., as chairman of Osun State Local Government Service Commission.
The governor was reported to have also appointed Adenike Adeleke, the widow of his late brother, Isiaka Adeleke, as commissioner for Federal Matters on Wednesday.
Also appointed by the governor was Razak Salinsile, a strong loyalist of a former governor of the state, Rauf Aregbesola, as chairman of Osun State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM).
Salinse was a factional chairman of the opposition then ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Adeleke through his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, announced the appointees among chairmen and vice-chairmen of 19 boards in the state appointed by his administration.
The release stated that, Professor Wale Oladipo was appointed as the chairman of Osun State University Governing Board, Gbenga Onigbogi was appointed as the chairman of University of Ilesa Governing Board, former national publicity secretary of Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Diran Odeyemi appointed as Chairman governing board of Esa Oke College of Technology.
Also, former Chief of Staff to ex-governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Peter Babalola was appointed as chairman board for Ila College of Education, Senator Felix Ogunwale was appointed as chairman for Ilesha College of Health Technology, Dr K. K Akinroye was appointed as Chairman for Hospital Management Board which Daodu Adetayo will serve as his Vice-Chairman.
Others are Olayinka Oyedotun (Water Cooperation), Maruf Ishola (Muslim Wing of Pilgrims Welfare Board), Elder Funso Ishola (Christian of Pilgrims Welfare Board), Dr Muyiwa Oladimeji (Osun Health Insurance Agency), Niyi Owolade (Osun State Teaching Hospital), Ebenezer Ebenco(Osun Council for Arts and Culture), Akanfe Atidade(Housing Loans Board), Kolade Adeleke(Osun Tourism Board) and Sola Adewumi(Osun Internal Revenue Service).
Ibukun Fadipe was appointed as Osun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Muyiwa Oloso was appointed as Chairman of Osun State Broadcast Cooperation (OSBC), while Lanre Laoye will serve as his Vice-chairman and Taju Adisa chaired Primary Healthcare Development Board.
However, Adeleke’s appointment of his family members into key positions in the state has generated uproar on social media.
A Twitter user, @Realadeshina, wrote: “Congratulations Tunji Adeleke as Osun State Chairman board of local government. This disgrace is getting too much 😭😭.
@simplysnipe said “Most people didn’t know or heard of the guy before, now they know him. I’m just loving the news coming out of Osun, the second Edo State. Next now is for our dancing governor to be commissioning disgraceful projects as an achievement but Osun people will blame the president.”
@IkotunEmmy said, “ I told them when they were shouting “imole”. Adeleke should be ready to face a massive vote-out in the next election. Osun does not fall for mediocrity twice. The unfortunate thing is retrogression the state would have suffered.”
Similarly, @MustyOsun said, “I never knew we could still operate a constitutional monarchical system.”
Meanwhile, the opposition All Progressives Congress(APC), through its chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, berated Adeleke for appointing a lawyer as Commissioner for Health in the state.
He described the appointment of Barrister Sola Akintola as an embarrassment to the state.
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Lawal said, “The prerogative of the governor to put lawyers in charge of the ministry of education and health is fraught with admissible reasons to any right-thinking members of the society.
“While we are wishing the new commissioners the best of luck in their various ministries, it is our belief that the people deserve the type of the governor and state executive members that they have.
“It will however, not be proper if it is not registered here that there are few of the commissioners on the list who have distinguished themselves in their chosen fields while it is an impossibility for about three commissioners to write down correctly the name of their assigned ministries.