Notably and without equivocation, Oyo State Governor Engr. Seyi Makinde has performed exceedingly well in the delivery of his campaign promises in virtually all sectors. This is the case, especially in employment and job creation.
From his first term of office, the governor made it clear that, aside from the four service-point agenda of education, security, health, and economic expansion, his administration would focus on reducing the state’s unemployment rate.
Throughout his first four years, the governor lived true to his words with various policies implemented towards empowering the teeming youths of the state. Aside from the recruitment of 7,000 teachers into public secondary schools in 2020, the governor introduced the Youth Entrepreneurs in Agribusiness Programme, which saw thousands of Oyo State youths sponsored for all kinds of training in agriculture and agribusiness practices at the CSS Integrated Farms in Nasarawa State.
If Governor Makinde had presented job opportunities to youths in the first term, the second term would have been even better. The transformation agenda by Makinde’s administration to improve the lives of Oyo State youths and their family members has been reflected in the government’s job recruitment since the governor’s re-election.
The governor began with the education sector, where he approved the recruitment of about 20,000 teaching and non-teaching staff into public primary and secondary schools. Among the non-teaching staff categories recruited by the state government are caregivers, who will provide care and support to learners, clerical officers, assistant executive officers, data processors/confidential secretaries, guards and messengers. The wholesomeness of recruitment into the public education sector means that public schools in the state will start giving private schools a run for their money in the not-too-distant time.
In all these recruitments, the governor not only explicitly instructed that people living with disabilities be factored into the exercises, but he also ensured that the instruction was followed to the letter, with over 500 people with special needs employed in the primary and secondary schools.
Through these recruitments, the governor has, no doubt, lived up to the cognomen of Oyo State as a Pacesetter State. The transparency and probity introduced to recruitment into the education sector in the state are proving to be a model for other states.
The governor achieved an unprecedented and exemplary feat in public recruitment through the experienced hands he chose to man the different arms of the education sector and the Civil Service Commission. From the Honourable Commissioner, Professor Salihu Adelabu, a professor of Finance and Public Management with a strong background in education, to the chairman of the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr Nureni Adeniran, a Ph.D holder and former lecturer in Education, to the chairman of the Civil Service Commission, Alhaji Kamoru Aderibigbe, a retired teacher as well as Pastor Akin Alamu, the former TESCOM chairman, a well-experienced administrator, Governor Makinde’s penchant for putting round pegs in round holes has paid off greatly in the recent spate of merit-based employments into different Ministries, Departments, Agencies and schools in the state.
Oyo State’s education sector has witnessed significant development, with an important milestone that will certainly revitalise the sector. Apart from addressing the shortage of qualified teachers and other hands in the state’s education sector, the effort is also expected to improve the education standard and Oyo State students’ performance in national examinations.
For years, Governor Makinde has always declared he is here to reposition the education sector and rebuild the state through improved education quality. The massive recruitment of teachers is a testament to that commitment to providing quality education to the people of Oyo State, as the new teachers will surely help to improve the teacher-to-student ratio, enhance the learning experience, and ultimately contribute to better academic outcomes.
With this development, the Oyo State Government has reaffirmed its dedication to investing in the future of its citizens and providing them with the necessary education to expand the state’s economy and boost individual lives.
In addition to the education sector, the government also embarked on recruiting thousands of residents into the mainstream civil service and local governments.
The rigorous recruitment processes involved a computer-based test (CBT) and a comprehensive evaluation of candidates’ qualifications.
The Oyo State Civil Service Commission recently recruited over 900 candidates and has collected their appointment letters. The state also completed the conversion of over 1,500 ad-hoc staff of the 33 local government councils to permanent staff.
Overall, Governor Makinde has, through the series of recruitments, demonstrated a commitment to merit, excellence, and inclusivity, ensuring that the best candidates are selected to serve the people of Oyo State. Oyo State can boast of having witnessed a significant improvement in its recruitment processes under Governor Makinde’s administration, as the processes were a complete departure from the status quo of previous administrations sharing employment letters at political rallies.
In Oyo State today, recruitment exercises have been transparent, fair, and merit-based, leading to the best candidates being selected for various positions. For this, Nigerians have continued to praise Governor Makinde’s administration for its efforts in reforming the recruitment process, making it more inclusive and prioritising the needs of the people. Certainly, Governor Makinde has not only been setting the unprecedented record of overseeing the largest recruitments into civil/public service but has also shown the rest of Nigeria how best to conduct public recruitment. One hopes that states and the Federal Government will learn to make recruitment less opaque and more people-centred.
.Comrade Gbadeyanka writes from Ibadan
