On Wednesday, Justice Mathias Agboola of the Osun State High Court declared unconstitutional the rendering “State of Osun” adopted by the State Government.
The judgement is in response to a suit filed by a human rights activist, Barrister Kanmi Ajibola against the government of the state over the levy of a personal tax of N5.3 million on him by the state Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The case was filed against former Governor Rauf Aregbesola over the renaming of Osun State as the State of Osun by Ajibola.
Ajibola had contested the fee on account of what he described as vindictive, punitive and speculative, and noted that the said tax law upon which the tax was based be declared illegal because it was a law made by “The House of Assembly of State of Osun.”
While Justice Agboola agreed with the submission of the state counsel that Ajibola did not seek all necessary means of settlement before approaching the court, he frowned at what he called the “artistic colouration” of Osun State as “State of Osun”.
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