Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde, on Monday, inaugurated the steering committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Elders’ Forum, charging them to assist the party in tackling the challenges facing it.
He further called on members of the committee to reconcile all aggrieved party members, promising to ensure that all legitimate concerns within the party are addressed.
A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, Mr Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the governor stated this while inaugurating the 7-man committee at the Government House, Agodi, Ibadan.
He said: “The task before this committee is to assist us to get to the roots of all the challenges with our party, the PDP in Oyo state.
“A failure is hard to take, but success is harder to manage because expectations were quite high. It has been one year and about two weeks in office in this administration and the expectations of some of our party members have not been met either rightly or wrongly. Some have legitimate requests and expectations, but some are just being used by some forces outside of our party against the party.
“So, we need to sieve the chaff from the wheat, and where our members have legitimate expectations and legitimate entitlements, I want all that to be brought out so that we can address the issue. So, on that note, I pronounce this committee inaugurated.”
The members of the committee include Dr Saka Balogun (chairman), Chief Mutiat Ladoja, Chief Sunday Ogunlade, Chief Olayiwola Baale, Chief Jacob Adetoro, Chief Jumoke Akinjide and the state PDP chairman, Alhaji Kunmi Mustapha.
In his response the chairman of the committee, Dr Balogun said since the governor admitted that there were various agitations in the party, the committee would duly work to look into the roots of some of the agitations.
He, therefore, promised not to let the governor down in the assignment given to them.
According to him, “it is good to be requested to do what one otherwise would have loved to do before now because the commission has been christened a steering committee for elders to look into the roots of some agitations here and there, which His Excellency has admitted.
“Some have a legitimate right to feel the way they feel. Some have legitimate ambitions, having waited behind the fence for eight years during the governance of the previous administration. I do not run down anybody or institution, but certainly, the experience of many of us and more of the masses was nothing to write about in the last administration.
“So, there were very high expectations when this government came into office, and I have said it a number of times that this government is delivering quality service, people who have been requested to come into the fold to join the governor to administer, have been high calibre people.
“Well, there is nothing to complain about that, but as we have said since we have not written a blueprint on some of the problems which he has asked us to go and look into. It is not for me to give one man’s assessment of the problems, but some of the problems we already know.
“So, we thank you for this opportunity to serve and by the grace of God, we will not let you down, thank you very much.”
