Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has promised that his administration would continue to reward civil/public servants who work hard and show dedication to the progress of the state.
Makinde noted that workers in the state would continue to witness consistent payment of salaries and pensions in his second term in office, pledging that he would clear the backlog of pensions and arrears left by the previous administration in the state.
The governor gave the assurance during the 2022 Oyo State Productivity Day/Merit Award celebration, with a lecture titled: “Waste to Wealth: Employment Generation, Productivity and Economic Stimulation Dynamics, a Case for Sustainable Development in Oyo State,” held at the Emeritus Professor Theophilus Ogunlesi Hall, UCH, Ibadan.
While commending the efforts of the Oyo State Security Network, codenamed Amotekun Corps, and other security agencies for ensuring peace and contributing to the productivity of the state, the governor assured citizens that his government would aggressively woo investors into the state to increase the Internally Generated Revenue, (IGR), and create more jobs for the teeming youth population.
Makinde noted that the topic of the lecture captured the present mood of the state, as one of the focus sectors in his second tenure would be waste management, saying a lot is being done to change the narrative in the sector, including the introduction of a new consultant and a Waste Management Task Force to work with the consultant.
“In the next year, we are looking to increase the number of waste compactors working in Oyo State by at least 100. This will have a multiplier effect in adding N3 billion annually into the Oyo State economy and creating at least 500 direct jobs, multiples of indirect jobs as we streamline that sector and tap the resources locked in sustainable environmental practices.”
The Governor was later awarded in recognition of his worker-friendly policies since he became the governor of the state.
The Head of Service, Mrs Ololade Agboola, appreciated Governor Makinde for his unbroken pact with the workers and for sustaining the culture of rewarding excellent performance in the state, charging the workers to continue supporting the present administration in the state to achieve its set goals.
Earlier, in his address, the Chairman of the event, Bayo Oyero, noted that for workers to give their best in an organisation, employers must provide a conducive environment and treat workers as respectable human beings, noting that there is need for attitudinal change in the rank and file and top echelon of the service to achieve increased productivity in the public service.
While delivering his lecture, Dr Adebimpe Aderounmu, the guest lecturer, noted that Oyo State had what it takes to put in place an endogenous waste transformation model, which could generate jobs and make the youths and able-bodied productive sustainably.
Sixty one officers from the junior, senior and management cadres were recommended for awards among the 328 nominees across the Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the state.
The Oyo State Hospitals’ Management Board emerged the Most Outstanding Agency, while the State Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology emerged the Outstanding Ministry of 2022.
