“Appointments Based on Merit”—Osun govt reproaches MURIC

The State Government of Osun has reproached a human rights body, Muslim Rights Concerns (MURIC), in its attempt to accuse Governor Adeleke of being biased in the recent appointments of commissioners and permanent secretaries and warned against ethno-religious segregation.

The Government stressed that the appointments were based on the nominees’ merits and competencies.

Mallam Olawale Rasheed, spokesperson to the governor, unraveled on Tuesday, July 11, 2023.

He emphasized that right from his assumption of office, “Governor Adeleke has premised his governance decisions on the competency and commitment to state duty of appointees in his avowed commitment to deliver on good governance and correct inherited ills from previous governments.”

Mr Rasheed restated that the first top government appointees were chosen based on competency and conformity with leadership style but not religion.

“The same principle of meritocracy which produced the nominated commissioners was applied in the appointments of permanent secretaries who are accounting officers of the ministries.

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“This policy of equity, fairness and competency also guided the many landmark decisions of Mr Governor,” the spokesperson said.

He continued, “With just eight months in office, the Governor has formed the habit of scouting for the best among indigenes who can support the concerted efforts to rescue the state from the many challenges of under-development, infrastructural deficit and poverty.

He added that the citizens (home and abroad) and residents of Osun were pleased with the Governor’s performance and that no enemy of progress should surface under the guise of religious defense.

“It must therefore be noted that no agent of destabilization with mere nuisance value masquerading as a religious body can deploy religion as a partisan tool to divide and distract a government that is busy with correcting ills of the recent past,” he said.

Mr Rasheed rounded up by restating the long-standing record of Osun as a peaceful state, sensitizing religious leaders to be wary of religious extremism from any dimension.

“Osun State is a highly enlightened society with deep records of religious harmony and a close understanding of the Governor as a cosmopolitan leader who has never and will never pander to religious bigotry, ethnic partisanship and unmeritorious decision making.

“MURIC should look elsewhere for its merchandise of extremism and division. Religious leaders in Osun understand and support their Governor and their prayers uphold him every second,” he concluded.