Aregbesola Swears In 389 New Councillors

Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun on Wednesday conducted the swearing-in ceremony for 389 newly elected councilors in the state.

The newsmen report that the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) had on Jan. 27 conducted parliamentary local government election in the state.

The newsmen also report that the commission on Jan. 28 announced that all the 389 candidates of APC won the councillorship election.

OSIEC further stated that elected councilors would be running a parliamentary administrative system at the local government tier, with the councilors electing the chairmen among themselves.

Aregbesola, while performing the swearing-in ceremony in Osogbo, said that his administration adopted the parliamentary system of government in fulfillment of the wishes of the people.

The governor said it was the overwhelming wish of the people as stated in a report of the committee on political reforms that parliamentary system of government is adopted.

He averred that the experience in the First Republic would attest to the fact that parliamentary system deepens democracy and offers far greater political representation than any other system.

The governor argued that the decision to adopt a parliamentary system of government was also in fulfillment of Section 7 (1) of the Nigerian constitution.

Aregbesola said adopting a new system was not against the constitution or contrary to the tenets of democracy but rather helps to galvanize good governance and effective representation.

“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, however, charged the councilors to be change agents that would transform governance in their local communities and deepen democratic practice with quality representation.

“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," he said.

In his remarks, the Speaker, Osun House of Assembly, Hon. ‎Najeem Folasayo Salam said the adoption of the parliamentary system was strictly in line with the constitution of Nigeria.

Salaam said the House approved the parliamentary system to govern the people at the grassroots,  having considered its numerous advantages over other systems of government.