Adeleke signs new law for Osun parks despite APC's objections

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has signed the Park Management Bill into law. This comes after ongoing violence over control of motor parks led his government to suspend the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) activities. The governor also announced plans for a new management system.

Mr Adeleke signed the bill on Monday at the Government House in Osogbo. He said the law aims to fix what he called long-standing issues in the state's transport park system and to update the sector.

"Having signed this bill into law, I assure all stakeholders that implementation will start quickly. In line with the law, we will ensure that Osun people and other interests are included for efficient service delivery across the state," Mr Adeleke said during the signing.

"I applaud the House Speaker and members of the House for always acting in the best interest of the state. I have gone through the bill as passed by the House and I am convinced that it is the best solution to the ongoing crisis and challenges facing the Osun transportation park system," the governor added.

The Osun State House of Assembly passed the bill on 23 September during its proceedings and sent it to Mr Adeleke for his approval.

But the signing of this bill comes amid a constitutional dispute over whether the state government has the authority to manage motor parks. The earlier passage of the bill faced backlash from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State. They claimed that the state legislature did not have the constitutional power to take over the regulation and management of motor parks.

The APC pointed to Section 7(1) and the Fourth Schedule of the Nigerian constitution. They argued that the management and revenue collection of public motor parks should be handled by local government councils.

The party warned that enforcing the law could lead to more conflict in the state and called for it to be withdrawn. However, the House of Assembly disagreed. The lawmakers said the APC was misinterpreting the constitution. They argued that just because motor parks are listed as local government functions does not mean the state House of Assembly cannot legislate on the matter.

The assembly also referred to Section 100 of the constitution. This section outlines how a state House of Assembly should exercise its legislative powers through bills passed by the legislature and approved by the governor.

They challenged the APC to go to court if they believed the legislation was unconstitutional. "If the APC genuinely believes that the law is unconstitutional, the courts are open to it," the Assembly stated.

House Speaker Adewale Egbedun spoke before the signing of the bill on Monday. He said the assembly followed its rules when processing and passing the bill. He described the legislation as a solution to issues in the state's transport sector.

This development comes after months of tension and violence over control of motor parks in Osun. On 14 September, Mr Adeleke banned NURTW activities in the state after Olalekan Oyeyemi, known as Emir Ajagungbade, a close associate of the governor, was shot dead at Mayfair motor park in Ile-Ife.

Mr Oyeyemi was involved in the transport sector and had served on a government-appointed transport committee. The Osun State Police Command later found another body at the park in Ile-Ife.

After the killings, the governor ordered rival groups in the leadership dispute to leave motor parks and garages across the state. He also instructed security agencies to arrest those involved in the incident. He announced plans to bring back a Park Management System, initially saying he would issue an executive order to set up the new system.

Meanwhile, back in July, the state government suspended NURTW activities in motor parks after violent clashes between rival factions. The government stated that the union's recognized leadership was still in place. However, the national NURTW leadership rejected the suspension and formed a caretaker committee for the state.

The state government dismissed the caretaker committee, insisting that there was no leadership gap in the Osun chapter.