UNESCO centre accuses Aregbesola of contempt of court

Controversy has continued to trail the Osogbo, Osun state-based Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU) as the centre has accused the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola of contempt of court.

The centre said a portion of a statement issued by the governor on Sunday saying that former governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola cannot be chairman of Board of Trustees of the centre was contemptuous of the Federal High Court, Osogbo, currently sitting on a case over the constitution of the centre’s board.

The centre and its registered Trustees had in 2013 dragged the Osun state government to court for setting up a parallel board headed by Professor Wole Soyinka for the centre.

Hearing of the case suffered temporary setback yesterday following the absence of the judge handling it as he was said to be busy with his colleagues at an official engagement in Nasarawa state. The case was however re-fixed for November 11, 2015.

Soyinka resigned his appointment at the weekend but Governor Aregbesola on Sunday rejected the resignation even as he claimed that the registered chairman of the board, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola could not constitutionally remain as the chairman.

However, answering reporters questions at the court premises on Monday, counsel to CBCIU, Mr Adetunji Muraina and the registered trustees of the centre, carpeted Aregbesola for the statement, which he described as contemptuous and unfortunate.

“ I read the statement purportedly made by Aregbesola. It was an unfortunate statement and contemptuous of the court because the issue he commented upon is the issue before the court.  A governor as the chief law keeper of the state shouldn’t have made such an unfortunate statement. He cannot usurp the powers of the court by making claims on what is legal and what is not. That is what the court is there to do”, he said.

The lawyer declined to comment on the purported resignation of Soyinka from the board of the centre stating that is the responsibility of the court to determine whether he had any appointment in the first instance when the court gives its verdict on the issues before it.