The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has sworn in five re-appointed and five new commissioners, screened and confirmed by the State House of Assembly.
Governor Makinde while speaking at the swearing-in ceremony, held at the Executive Council Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat in Ibadan, charged the commissioners to hit the ground running, urging them to play their part in the realisation of his administration’s vision for the people of the state.
He stated: “I am sure that if you pay attention, you will see that the things that our people are asking for are not things that are beyond us. Our people yearn for growth and development. They want good roads and quality infrastructure, even as they are asking for employment opportunities and economic prosperity.”
The Governor equally tasked the commissioners to synergise efforts for the continued growth and an integrated approach to governance, with a view to attaining economic prosperity in the state.
He also promised to facilitate a marked improvement in infrastructure across the 33 local government areas of the state, noting that the state government would soon engage local government chairmen on how to make that possible.
The newly sworn-in commissioners are; Mr Seun Fakorede (Youth and Sports), Mr Adeniyi Adebisi (Agriculture), Mr Olasunkanmi Olaleye (Trade, Investment and Commerce), Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun (Information, Culture and Tourism), Mr Abdulrahman Abdulraheem (Education, Science and Technology).
Others are; Mr Abiodun Oni (Environment and Natural Resources), Professor Misbau Babatunde (Budget and Planning), Mr Segun Olayiwola (Lands and Housing), Dr Bode Ladipo (Health) and Alhaja Kafilat Omolabake Olayiwola (Women Affairs).
The Governor also denied the insinuations that his administration was denying local government areas in the state funds to run their system.
He confirmed that the state was able to save up some monies for the 33 council areas, especially at the time the councils were run by Head of Local Government Administrations (HLAs), the period when he appointed caretaker chairmen to replace the sacked council bosses.
“Local government funds from FAAC go directly into the Joint Allocation Accounts Committee (JAAC) account. But after they have drawn first line charges such as salaries for primary school teachers and local government workers and expenses for primary healthcare centres, what is left is meagre.” Makinde explained
He affirmed that the state government was not interested in spending the local councils’ money but would not allow the council areas to share what had been saved up. rather the saved up money would be utilised as a stabilisation fund for them, noting that the state would not sit by and allow workers denied their salaries at the end of every month.
Makinde noted: “Our people yearn for growth and development. They want good roads and quality infrastructure, even as they are asking for employment opportunities and economic prosperity. We know they have been starved of these basic functions of government for many years, and that can sometimes make the tasks we are expected to perform seem overwhelming.”
While explaining that local government authorities are in charge of all the funds from their internally generated revenue, he assured residents that the state government would meet with the council bosses on infrastructure development at the grassroots, expressing the belief that the people of Oyo State would see a massive improvement in service delivery, especially roads.
Governor Makinde urged the newly appointed President of the Oyo State Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Mashud Akintunde Abass to make the administration of Criminal Justice Law more effective in the state while promising to further continue to work closely with the Judiciary in the state to ensure that decisions taken by the Judiciary Service Commission are fully implemented.
Abass, promised to build upon the successes recorded by his predecessors and effect the implementation of the Criminal Justice Law in the state.
PIAK
