Gov. Aregbesola Swears In New Councillors In Osun State

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State (File Photo)

389 newly elected Councillors were on Wednesday, sworn in by Governor  Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State.

The Councillors had emerged victorious in the January 2018 local government elections conducted by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission ( OSIEC ).

The commission had on January 28, declared all the 389 candidates of APC winners in the parliamentary local government election.

This implies that based on the parliamentary administrative system at the local government tier, the Councillors would have to elect the chairmen among themselves.

Gov. Aregbesola, while performing the swearing-in ceremony in Osogbo, said his administration adopted the parliamentary system of government in response to wishes and demands of the people and this does not contravene the constitutional provision of Nigeria.

“In a parliamentary system, decisions are taken collectively and must be agreed upon by the majority in the house.

“This system saves campaign cost and reduces the impetus for corruption in that a candidate only needs to campaign in his or her constituency.

” This is unlike in the executive system where a presidential candidate must tour the whole country and a governorship candidate must tour the whole state while a chairmanship candidate must tour the entire local council,’’ he said.

Aregbesola, also charged the Councillors to be sensitive to the needs of the people whom they represent.

“You must therefore listen to your people and give them access. Your status has placed you in a position of leadership, but not in a position of supremacy and tyranny over the people.’’

In his remarks, the Speaker, Osun House of Assembly, Hon. ‎ Najeem Folasayo Salam, corroborated the governor’s stance that the adoption of parliamentary system was strictly in line with the constitution of Nigeria.

Salam further stated that the House approved the parliamentary system to govern the people at the local government level as it represented the wish of the people as stated in a report of the committee on political reforms that parliamentary system of government be adopted.

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