Skating: APC scribe, Basiru condemns jail term proposal by Osun Assembly

The proposed bill by the Osun State House of Assembly seeking to penalise public skating has sparked a sharp divide between the All Progressives Congress, APC, National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru and the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun.

Senator Basiru criticised the bill, calling it unnecessary and urging the Assembly to focus on more urgent legislative concerns.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by his gubernatorial campaign organisation, Basiru who is a gubernatorial aspirant under the APC in Osun State, described the proposal for six months’ imprisonment or a N250,000 fine for public skating as laughable and a step backwards.

“We are disturbed by the news of the proposal of punishment for open skating in Osun State. For us, it is coming when skating stars are being discovered in Nigeria.

“In Lagos State and neighbouring Oyo, people are investing in the sporting activities, and if Osun cannot tap in, it shouldn’t have come up with the punishment,” he said.

He berated the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, saying he should have known better, especially as a youth, to promote sports rather than support restrictions.

He called for the immediate withdrawal of the bill and a fresh approach involving consultations with stakeholders in the skating and sports communities.

“Allowing such to sail through is not only backwardness for Osun but laughable. We should encourage discovery of talents,” he added.

Basiru also called on Governor Ademola Adeleke to intervene and stop what it called a legislative misstep.

Meanwhile, Speaker Adewale Egbedun has defended the bill, stating that its purpose is to ensure public safety, not to suppress youth engagement in sports.

In a statement signed by his legislative aide, Olugbenga Akanfe, Egbedun said, “The bill does not seek to ban skating outrightly. Rather, it aims to prohibit public skating, particularly on highways and busy roads.”

He highlighted that unsafe practices, such as skaters clinging to moving vehicles, pose severe risks to both the skaters and other road users.

“Tragically, in such instances, drivers may be held liable for incidents they did not cause and could not prevent,” he noted.

The Speaker stated that one of the main causes of unsafe skating in the state is the lack of designated facilities for the sport.

However, he disclosed that a new skating arena would be included in the ongoing redevelopment of Osogbo City Stadium by Governor Adeleke.

He drew comparisons to Lagos State under the Fashola administration, where skating on public roads was restricted under traffic regulations.

“This development will provide a safe and structured environment for skating enthusiasts.

“If Lagos State, as far back as the Fashola era, recognised the dangers of unregulated skating on public roads, then the steps taken by the 8th Assembly of Osun State should be seen as commendable,” he said.

He reiterated that the goal of the bill is to reduce accidents and promote responsible sporting practices among young people.

Skating: APC scribe, Basiru condemns jail term proposal by Osun Assembly