The Osun State Government has approved the redeployment of five Heads of Local Government Administration (HLGAs) across selected council areas, a move that comes amid the ongoing political contest over the control of local governments in the state.
The redeployment, which takes immediate effect, was authorized by the State Local Government Service Commission and formally communicated to the affected officers in a letter dated January 26, 2025.
The latest action followed rising administrative and political tensions surrounding the leadership of local councils, triggered by disputes between the state government and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) over the status and control of elected council officials.
The Commission’s decision is understood to be part of internal administrative adjustments within the local government system as the controversy deepened.
The officers affected by the deployment include Bolaji Wasiu Ayoola, Emmanuel Oluwole Ademokoya, Adebisi Lateef Kayode, Yakubu Adekunle Oni and Isaac Tope Akinwunmi.
Prior to the new postings, all five were serving in various Local Council Development Authorities (LCDAs) across the state before being reassigned to substantive local government areas, including Boripe, Atakumosa East, Oriade and Ola-Oluwa councils.
According to the official communication issued by the Commission, “the Local Government Service Commission has approved the deployment of the underlisted Heads of Local Government to new stations in the interest of effective service delivery.”
The letter further directed the officers to report at their new duty posts without delay, though it did not specify the rationale behind each posting.
In implementing the decision, the Commission effected the movement of the HLGAs from LCDAs to main council areas, while remaining silent on the fate or redeployment of the officials previously overseeing those councils.
The action has since sparked reactions from political stakeholders across the state, particularly due to the strategic importance of some of the affected councils.
Speaking on behalf of the state government, supporters of Governor Ademola Adeleke maintained that the redeployment falls squarely within the administrative powers of the government as the employer of local government civil servants.
They argued that routine postings and transfers are lawful tools for ensuring efficiency and proper coordination within the local government system.
The state government also cautioned political actors against politicizing civil service postings, stressing that administrative decisions must not be misconstrued as partisan actions.
Officials reiterated that deployments are guided by public service rules and the need to uphold professionalism, neutrality and continuity in governance.
Meanwhile, the government signaled that it would continue to exercise its statutory authority over local government administration, even as legal and political disputes persist.
It affirmed that further actions would be guided by the law, ongoing court processes and the overarching responsibility to maintain order and effective governance at the grassroots level.
