Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has directed the holding of a logo crafting competition between April 19th and 26th.

The Osun State House of Assembly had in July 2023 repealed the state Anthem, Crest, and Flag Law 2012 and replaced it with a new law which enabled the executive to come up with a new logo for the state.

Adeleke had on Wednesday, signed a bill adopting a new logo for the state but the design released through the social media was greeted with criticism.

But Adeleke while commenting on the decision to have a logo drafting competition said, “As a listening leader, I have asked that we open the change of logo to more public input through this one-week competition.”

Earlier, an opposition party in the state, the Allied Peoples Movement, described the new logo as a waste of taxpayers’ money.

Also reacting, the state chapter of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, said the new logo fell short of standard.

In a release signed by the party’s chairman, Dr Tosin Odeyemi, obtained in Osogbo on Thursday, NNPP wondered if the governor saw the new design before assenting to its bill.

The release partly read, “The new logo is an embarrassment to us in Osun. Who did they give the contract to? Didn’t Governor Adeleke see it before assenting to the bill? With an array of technologically inclined youth, we have in Osun that can come up with good designs, how could a state government unveil such a poorly designed logo? Osun has become a laughing stock on different social media since the unveiling of the design.

“What happened to the original logo being used since the creation of Osun state? We all spoke against it when the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola designed a new logo for the state and abandoned the one in use before he came into office as governor. The one we have now is however worse compared to the one given the state by Aregbesola.

“For those that have ears in this government, a drastic step needs to be taken. The logo should be withdrawn from the public to save Osun from this unnecessary bashing.”

Meanwhile, a release by the spokesperson to the governor, Olawale Rasheed, on Thursday said holding of the logo crafting competition would be held between April 19th and 26th.

“Those submitting a design are to take into account the prototype logo in terms of its contents and style. The submission can be made in person both soft and printed copy to the Office of the Commissioner, Ministry of Information and Public Enlightenment.

“Entries can also be submitted online via emailus@osunstate.gov.ng or statelogo@osunstate.gov, with bio-data and contact details of the designer. The subject should be with the subject “OSUN STATE LOGO. The best design will be announced on April 28 and will be unveiled on April 30th during the new edition of Ipade Imole. The best three designers will be invited and compensated,” Rasheed said.

THE Kaduna State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, on Wednesday, expressed its support for the move by the state’s House of Assembly to probe the financial dealings, particularly loans obtained by the administration of the immediate-past governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

The Kaduna APC Publicity Secretary, Salisu Wusono, speaking with Theheute on the telephone on Wednesday, described the probe as a welcome development.

Similarly, the Kaduna State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress backed the probe.

The state Assembly had on Tuesday set up a 13-man panel to probe El-Rufai’s administration.

The probe by the state House of Assembly came weeks after the incumbent Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, lamented that El-Rufai left him a huge debt profile.

Sani, who spoke during a town hall meeting in Kaduna, said he inherited a lean treasury, adding that he could not pay workers’ salaries.

Sani said, “Despite the huge debt burden of $587m, N85bn, and 115 Contractual Liabilities sadly inherited from the previous administration, we remain resolute in steering Kaduna State towards progress and sustainable development.

“We have conducted a thorough assessment of our situation and are sharpening our focus accordingly.”

On Tuesday, the state Assembly resolved to probe El-Rufai’s administration and therefore set up a fact-finding committee.

The resolution of the House was reached during a special session of the House presided over by the Speaker, Alhaji Yusuf Liman.

The member representing the Kaura constituency, Yusuf Mugu, moved the motion on the matter of public importance that the loans taken by the immediate past governor be investigated.

Mugu argued that there was a need for the people of the state to know the conditions attached to the loans.

Asked on Wednesday for the position of the party on the probe, the Kaduna APC Publicity Secretary, Wusono, said, “Yes, of course,” adding, “By this committee, we will come to realise the actual situation of things.

“I want to remind all Nigerians that the APC believes in the rule of law and so also Malam Nasir El-Rufai. He is a man who wants to conform with the manifesto of the party, which says that the government should drive its activities from the concept of the governed.

“Whatever we are doing is in the best interest of the good people of Kaduna State. What I believe and can tell Nigerians is that whatever the APC government is doing is in the best interest of the people represented.

“Maybe the past administration spent N20m, while people are saying it is more or less, only the committee can verify and tell the general public the true situation of things.”

It will be recalled that the Kaduna APC had suspended the state APC Women Leader, Maryam Suleiman, for attacking Governor Sani after he raised the alarm about the left behind by El-Rufai.

The Kaduna APC, in a March 31, 2024 notice, said the Women Leader was suspended for alleged gross misconduct.

The suspension notice was signed by the APC Chairman and Secretary of the Badarawa/Malali ward, Ali Maishago and Zakkah Bassahuwa, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State chapter of the NLC also supported El-Rufai’s probe.

The Kaduna NLC Chairman, Ayuba Suleiman, in an interview with our correspondent, said the labour union would also want the Assembly to probe the unpaid severance packages of the over 32,000 workers sacked by the administration by El-Rufai.

Suleiman said, “We will prefer if the committee shall consider further the denial of payment of redundancy, severance and pensions allowances as provided by Section 20 of the Labour Act of 2004, for the over 32,000 workers sacked by the previous administration.”

The breakdown of the sacked workers, according to Suleiman, showed 21,711 primary schoolteachers, 7,000 state government staff, 6,000 local government staff, 3,000 primary health care staff, all the permanent secretaries he met in 2015, among others.

Efforts to get El-Rufai to react to the development failed as his spokesman, Muyiwa Adekeye, neither picked up the call put through to his line nor responded to a text message sent to him.

Group of 60 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members of the House of Representatives, yesterday, insisted on the ouster of the party’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum.

This is as the PDP caucus in the House, at its meeting in Room 414, in the House of Representatives wing of the National Assembly, failed to pass a confidence vote in Damagum.

The caucus meeting, which was summoned by the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, ahead of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the opposition party, was allegedly aimed at passing a vote of confidence in the embattled PDP leader.

However, Daily Sun gathered that the plan vote of confidence did not sail through as a result of opposition by the G-60 members, who, last week, called for Damagum’s resignation or sack by the PDP NEC.

Nevertheless, Chinda, while speaking with newsmen at the end of the caucus meeting, said the lawmakers resolved to call on the PDP NEC, National Working Committee (NWC), Board of Trustees (BoT) to reconcile aggrieved members and resolve all issues stalling the appointment of a substantive national chairman.

He said the caucus remains united, indivisible and committed to the discharge of its duties.

“The House of Representatives caucus also agreed to call on all party caucuses, BoT, NEC and the NWC of the party to embark on reconciliatory measures with a view to revolving all litigations that are pending, that have hindered the party in any way or whatsoever from having a substantive chairman.

“We call on our leaders to continue to demonstrate unconditional loyalty to the party and ensure the party is moved to its pride of place where it enjoyed the position of the largest party in Africa, and to take back the Aso Villa, which is suppose to be our birthright,” the minority leader said.

The caucus also called on the Federal Government to take immediate steps to address the worsening security situation in the country.

The minority leader said if the Federal Government fails to stem the tide of insecurity in three months, it would mobilise citizens to “perhaps take their security into their hands.”

The spokesman of the G-60 PDP members, Ikenga Ugochinyere, in a statement, at the end of the meeting, said the PDP needs a total overhaul. He said Damagum must quit for a national chairman from the North Central to take over.