BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
A civil society group in Osun State, Osun Concerned Elites, has cautioned the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, to stop arrogating to himself the powers that are within the office of the state governor.
It argued that the removal of the General Manager of Osun Emergency Medical Services And Ambulance System, Segun Babatunde and some other heads of agencies is beyond the Speaker.
The group alleged that Egbedun has a plan of installing his friend as the new General Manager after removing Babatunde.
According to the group, Egbedun, through the assembly wanted to evict the current General Manager of the agency, Segun Babatunde by recommending his suspension for alleged financial impropriety to pave way for his friend who is currently serving at Osun State University Teaching Hospital.
The assembly had last Thursday recommended the suspension of Babatunde on the allegation of financial impropriety.
But the civil society group, in an open letter to Egbedun which was signed by its Coordinator, Alabi Adaramoja, accused Egbedun of taking premature action on OSEMSAS, saying the assembly never sat on any petition, made inquiry or asked the General Manager to appear before it.
It was gathered that the state assembly had recommended Babatunde’s suspension before he was queried, a similar development to the suspension of the Rector of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Tajudeen Odetayo.
The group said Egbedun needed to be guided to guide against undue interference in executive and judicial functions.
A copy of the letter which was made available to newsmen reads, “It is with great dismay that we have been compelled to write this open letter to you as the No.3 citizen of Osun State. As a youth, we are proud of your feat to be at the helms of Osun legislature, making you one of the youngest, if not the youngest House Speaker throughout Nigeria today.
“Under your watch as Osun State speaker, we have seen firmness, the will and zeal with which you have been driving legislative affairs and businesses since your inauguration.
“While commending you for your passion and commitment in the discharge of the functions of your office, we have observed that of recent, you are being desperately tempted to usurp the functions of the office of Mr. Governor by arrogating to yourself executive powers, an act which is ultra vires of you. A word of caution must be sounded to you so that you will not put your balls beyond the goal post
“We wish to quickly highlight to you as follows: Your actions need to be guided so that you do not interfere unduly and you do not exercise executive and judicial functions.
“Your purported order removing the General Manager of OSEMSAS, Dr. Babatunde Olusegun, from office and directing the Head of Service to put in an immediate replacement was beyond your powers.
“It was discovered that the House never sat on any petition or inquiry or query or report at anytime requiring the appearance of the said OSEMSAS General Manager before you handed him suspension from office and directing the Head of Service for his immediate replacement. He was not heard at all by the House or whatever Committee before the announcement of his removal yesterday which is against the manifestation of fair trial.
“It was also discovered that the query which you acted upon was received by the said General Manager only yesterday after you had directed his removal and his immediate replacement.
“We are in possession of information that a friend of yours who is a Medical Doctor serving at UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital is your interest, as you have been pestering the Head of Service to announce that your friend’s name be announced as a replacement for the victimized General Manger of OSEMSAS.
“You must be enlightened that yours is not to remove and replace any government official. That is clearly an affront on the powers of the Executive.
“Your excitements, emotions, biases and sentiments need to be cautioned so that you do not embarrass the Adeleke Administration of which has been putting smiles on the faces of the masses, giving priority to the welfare of civil servants and retirees.”