Osun@30: Oladosu Oladipo as catalyst of state creation

Osun State is home to many of Nigeria’s most famous landmarks: the Osun Osogbo shrine, Opa Oranmiyan at Ile Ife, the famous Obafemi Awolowo University which is one of Nigeria’s pre-eminent institutions of higher learning, to mention a few. The Obafemi Awolowo University is also located in the ancient town of Ile-Ife, an important early center of political and religious development for Yoruba culture. The geographical area now Osun State was created on August 27, 1991 from the old Oyo State. The state derived its name from River Osun that takes its source mysteriously from Igede Ekiti as a venerated natural spring, manifesting the Yoruba goddess of the same name.

The struggle for the creation of Osun State can be said to have started since 1976; it however encountered many political challenges. Not bothered by the setbacks, stakeholders and indigenes of the state re-grouped under the name: Council for the creation of Osun State. The historical step made then was the preparation of a memorandum dated January 1980 and entitled ‘Case for Osun State.’

The National Assembly and the Federal Executive Council had to set up a 17- man committee headed by the then Vice President,  Dr. Alex Ekwueme to consider the various requests for creation of new states nationwide. Despite the efforts by the committee to ensure that some states were created out of the 38 requests received, the life of the Second Republic was cut short by the military coup of December 31, 1981. This marked the end of the Second Republic but also threw into the cooler all the clamours for state creation including the demand for Osun State. The political bureau did not recommend the creation of Osun State to Ibrahim Babangida, instead, Kastina was created out of Old Kaduna State and Akwa Ibom out of Old Cross River State.

An election was held in March, 1988, to choose members of the National Constitutional Conference tagged: The Constituent Assembly. The assembly was inaugurated with restrictive orders that no member should discuss the subject matter of state creation. The elected members of The Constituent Assembly from the Osun area comprising Osun Division, Ife Division and Ijesa Division, all within the Old Oyo State then, were Hon. E. T. Alabi (from Ejigbo), Hon. R. A Nafiu, Hon. O. A. Aderibigbe, Hon. A. F Odeniyi (from Iwo), Hon. Oladosu Oladipo (from Ikirun), among others.

The Oyo caucus in The Constituent Assembly elected Hon. Lam Adesina as its chairman and Hon. Oladosu Oladipo as its secretary. The primary objective of the caucus was to get Oyo State split into two states, Osun to include Ife and Ijesha and Osun Divisions excluding Ogbomoso. The caucus mandated Hon. Oladipo to prepare the write-up.

During this assignment by Oladipo, he consulted with a host of stakeholders which included but not limited to Chief Dr. Kolawole Balogun, Chief Hon. Tunji Abolade, Chief Hon. Kunle Odetoyinbo, Prof. Olu Aina, the late Senator Ayoola Adeleke, Chief Abiola Morakinyo, Dr. Oluwole Alabi, Chief Hon. Kunle Olodude, Engr. Akinwumi, Dr. Yemi Farounbi, Justice Bola Babalakin, Chief Ayo Ojewumi, Chief Hon. Ayelagbe Laogun, Chief Olagunju Adesakin, Chief Ijiwoye, Prince Adesuyi Haastrup, among many others.

The caucus also mandated Chief Oladosu Oladipo to draft what should be the request for the creation of the new state to be known and called Osun State from the Old Oyo State. With the mutual cooperation of the Oyo State caucus in the 1988 Constituent Assembly, Abuja, Oladosu Oladipo moved the motion on the floor of The Constituent Assembly, Abuja, on Wednesday, October 19, 1988. This is evident by the Official Report No. 32, pages 1826-1832 of Wednesday, October 19, 1988, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Proceedings of The Constituent Assembly

The document, “Request for the creation Osun State,” was later prepared, signed and submitted to the AFRC and the Federal Executive Council, headed by General Ibrahim Babangida (GCFR), through the 1988 Constituent Assembly chairman, Hon. Justice Udo Udoma (JSC) on November 25, 1988.

Chief Oladosu Oladipo is currently, the national coordinator, Yoruba Patriots Movement (YPM) and the national coordinator, Next Level Consolidative Forum.

Shobowale is the spokesperson for Yoruba Patriots Movement and National Consolidative Forum.

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