Osun defends Soyinka’s appointment

Prof Soyinka

Osun State has dismissed the protests of former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola against the appointment of Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka as Chairman, Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU) as hogwash. 
A statement by the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy in the Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, said Oyinlola’s claim that the CBCIU does not belong to Osun is the most despicable comment to have emanated from the former governor.
Okanlawon wondered how the centre has been funded since its establishment, pointing out that Oyinlola delivered a speech on January 7, 2009 during the commissioning ceremony where he stated that his administration provided $680,000 for the procurement of archival materials.   
The statement added: “It must be stated here that for Oyinlola to have personalised the centre by making himself the chairman either in or out of office through the law setting it up was another height of impunity for which his administration was notorious.
“This was a major odium that was yanked off the law passed under Oyinlola through an amendment signed by Governor Rauf Aregbesola in July this year, now called “State of Osun Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (Amendment) Law 2012”.
It explained that the choice of Soyinka was informed by the “genuine commitment and determination of the current administration to the promotion of our people’s heritage”.