Osun Govt Wants Activist Lawyer Bar From Talking On State Matters

Aftermath of the declaration of “State of Osun” as illegal, the State government has asked the Court to bar a state human right activist, Barrister Kanmi Ajibola from speaking on any state matter either by granting of press interview or by any other medium.

In the motion attached with an 11-paragraphs affidavit deposed to by Mr. Bankole Awoyemi, a counsel in the state Ministry of Justice, the defendant urged the court to stop Ajibola from instigating the populace against the State Government through the granting of press interview or other medium which may lead to the refusal of the people in the performance of their civic obligation.

Ajibola had dragged the state Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola and the State House of Assembly to court over the promulgation of the “State of Osun Land Use Charge Law” and the court in its December 14, 2017 judgment nullified the law and declared the renaming of Osun State as “State of Osun” unconstitutional.

But the State Attorney-General (AG) and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Surajudeen Basiru on Friday, January 18, 2018 filed a motion on notice before Justice Yinka Afolabi asking the court to stay execution of the judgment.

The AG urged the state high court to restrain the plaintiff, his agents or any other person from giving effect to the judgment pending the hearing and determination of the appeal filed by state government at the Court of Appeal.

Basiru informed the court that the state government had filed a notice of appeal on the 5^th of January, 2018, saying the decision of the court in the December 14^th judgment will affect the various activities and policies of the government especially the previous policies that “bore the name of ‘State of Osun’ which the court decided upon”.

He said, “Many people and corporate entities are now disobeying, disregarding and violating the laws and directives of the state government as they relate to its various activities and policies as affected by the decision of the judgment.

According to him, “If the injunction and the state of execution is not granted pending the appeal, the economic endeavour as well as governmental activities of the defendants/applicants will be seriously affected negatively.

He told the court that, “The grant of injunction or stay of execution of the judgment is a necessity to preserve the existing state of affairs until the Appeal is determined”.

Meanwhile, another suit filed by Ajibola against the State Governor and the State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) against the State “Parliamentary Local Government Elections” fixed for Saturday, January 27, 2018 is billed for hearing before Justice Kola Adegoke of the State High Court sitting in Ilesa on Tuesday, January 23.

An order of this honourable court staying the effect of the restraining order of injunction granted in the judgment of this honouble court delivered on 14^thDecember, 2017 against the applicants, their agents and person(s) acting on the applicants’ behalf from enforcing the State of Osun Land Use Charge Law, 2016 pending the hearing and determination of the appeal filed by the applicants to the Court of Appeal