"Osun Assembly Will Not Attend to Frivolities" -Speaker's Aide Fires Back at NANS Osun JJC

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Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Olamide Tiamiyu has said that the House, under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun will not attend to frivolities at the expense of its constitutional legislative responsibilities.

Tiamiyu made this known in a statement titled, “Osun State House of Assembly Reaffirms Commitment to Education, Due Process, Responsible Legislative Oversight”, while responding to NANS Osun JCC Chairman Comrade Solomon Ayobami Abel accused Osun Assembly Over Neglect of Students and accused the Speaker of Failure.

Tiamiyu noted that While it is the right of Mr Ayobami Solomon to express his personal views based on his individual sentiments, it is important to clarify that since the inauguration of the 8th Osun State House of Assembly, the legislature has consistently prioritised policies, motions, and resolutions aimed at strengthening the education sector, improving learning environments, and protecting the interests of students at all levels.

He added that the Assembly has a good working relationship with several student union bodies some of whom have witnessed several plenary sessions of the House and even engaged one-on-one with the Speaker.

The statement reads, “My attention has been drawn to a statement credited to a faction of the Osun Joint Campus Council (JCC), purportedly issued under the factional chairman, one Comrade Ayobami Solomon, AY Aluta.

“While it is the right of Mr Ayobami Solomon to express his personal views based on his individual sentiments, it is important to make the following clarification for the benefit of the upright, objective, and informed audience.

“Since the inauguration of the 8th Osun State House of Assembly, the legislature has consistently prioritised policies, motions, and resolutions aimed at strengthening the education sector, improving learning environments, and protecting the interests of students at all levels.

“Through effective legislative oversight, constructive engagement with relevant stakeholders, and timely interventions, the Assembly has contributed meaningfully to the advancement of education in Osun State.

“In 2023, when Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, was plunged into a crisis that almost halted academic activities, the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Olumide Egbedun, personally reached out to the then Students’ Union Government (SUG) President, Comrade Azeez Tajudeen Adebayo, and assured him of the intervention of his office.

“When students later embarked on a protest, led by the same SUG President, the Speaker personally received and addressed them within the premises of the Osun State House of Assembly.

“The matter was adequately resolved, academic activities resumed smoothly, and the then SUG President has since completed his mandatory one-year National Youth Service.

“A similar intervention was also carried out at the Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun. This is the true essence of legislative oversight, as opposed to unproductive or ceremonial courtesy visits.

“It is important to clearly state that the refusal of the Assembly to yield to undue pressure, personal appeals, incessant begging, or to meddle in leadership crises ravaging the Joint Campus Council, which is not new within student politics, should not be misconstrued as non-performance.

“Legislative responsibility demands integrity, fairness, and strict adherence to due process, not sentiment, favouritism, or emotional pressure. The decisions of the House are guided strictly by the collective interest of the people of Osun State, rather than personal or sectional considerations.

“Under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Adewale Olumide Egbedun, the Assembly has remained focused, principled, people-oriented, and firmly committed to democratic values and institutional independence. The achievements recorded so far in the education sector stand as clear evidence of purposeful governance and effective legislation.

“It is also important to note that legitimate and genuine student bodies have, at various times, related productively with the Osun State House of Assembly and the Rt. Hon. Speaker.

“These include the Political Science Students’ Parliament of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; the National Association of Osun State Students (NAOSS), Federal University Oye-Ekiti Chapter; the National Association of Political Science Students (NAPSS), Osun State University; the National Students’ Representative Council of the National Association of Aiyedade Local Government Students, Gbongan; the Student Representative Council of the Faculty of Education, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; students of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, OAU, Ile-Ife; the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigeria Students, OAU, Ile-Ife; students of the Faculty of Law, OAU, Ile-Ife; Political Science students of Osun State College of Education, Ilesa; the Law Students’ Representative Council, College of Law, Osun State University, Ifetedo Campus; Ilobu, Ifon and Erin-Osun student union bodies; the Federal Polytechnic Offa, School of Business and Management Studies (Public Administration Department); the Student Representative Body of the Medical Students’ Association of OAU, Ile-Ife; and NAOSS, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, among others.

“These bodies have not only witnessed plenary sittings of the Assembly but have also engaged in direct tête-à-tête discussions with the Honourable Speaker and members of the 8th Assembly.

“Furthermore, the House Committee on Education, under the chairmanship of Hon. Sikiru Bajepade, continues to diligently discharge its oversight responsibilities by prioritising a smooth academic calendar and ensuring that the rights and welfare of students are not compromised.

“In conclusion, the Osun State House of Assembly, under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Adewale Olumide Egbedun, will not attend to frivolities at the expense of its constitutional legislative responsibilities. The House will continue to prioritise the welfare of the people and the development of Osun State over any individual’s personal gain.

“It is also on record that the 8th Osun State House of Assembly has passed forty-three (43) impactful bills, several of which have direct implications on the people (students inclusive) and the overall development of our dear state.

“The Assembly remains resolutely committed to delivering quality laws, robust oversight, and responsive representation for the continued progress of Osun State.”