Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has officially sworn in newly appointed Permanent Secretaries into the state’s Civil and Public Service.
During the ceremony, he charged the new officials to demonstrate unwavering loyalty to the state and discharge their duties effectively in the best interest of the people.
The event, which took place on Tuesday at the Executive Council Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, saw the Governor urge the 17 appointees to manage their offices with probity and transparency.
He emphasised that personal interests must never conflict with official conduct within the Oyo State Civil Service.
Speaking shortly after the Oaths of Office and Allegiance were administered, Governor Makinde noted that the appointment process remained consistent with his administration’s commitment to competence and merit, rather than undue political interference.
He stated: “When we came in, we instituted a system of rewarding excellence. So, all of you took exams and you have been taken from that list. We also tried to balance the geopolitical zones of the states. We again tried to balance, where possible, the religious interests but most of you got selected based on competence.
“So, that is why some people are out there saying they should have been selected. Perhaps they passed the exam and did well. Perhaps they come from a geopolitical zone that has been overrepresented, it is possible. But just as you have sworn, I also did at the stadium that I won’t allow my personal interests to conflict with my official conduct.”
The Governor further highlighted the importance of institutional loyalty over individual allegiance to a political leader.
He added: “Also, just like it is on the political scene, I say to people, ’Look, don’t be loyal to Seyi Makinde. Be loyal to Oyo State.’ So, I am saying the same thing to you. Governments will come and go. Players will come and go. I am on my way out of this place. By this time next year, a new governor would have emerged, and then he or she will be putting his or her cabinet together. So what is the benefit of loyalty to me? Where would that take Oyo State?
“So, please, be loyal to our state; political parties will come and go, and different people under different parties have served this state before. So, I implore you to do your best to serve the people of Oyo State.”
Breakdown of the New Appointments
The 17 new Permanent Secretaries have been deployed across various sectors to strengthen the Oyo State Public Service architecture:
- Mainstream Civil Service: 8 Permanent Secretaries.
- Education Sector: 4 appointees (including an Inspector-General of Education and three Tutors-General).
- Local Government Sector: 3 Permanent Secretaries.
- Legislative & Audit: 1 from the House of Assembly Service Commission and the State Auditor-General.
