Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has signed into law the Executive Bill establishing the Oyo State Mobilisation Agency for Socio-Economic Development (OYMASED). He noted that his administration will continue to prioritise economic development in order to solve major challenges in the state.
While signing the Bill passed by the House of Assembly into Law at the Governor’s Office Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, on Tuesday, Governor Makinde also announced the appointment of a former Commissioner for Education in the state, Dr Morohunkola Thomas, who is his Special Adviser on Socio-Economic Development, as the director general of the agency.
According to Makinde, the establishment of the agency is in line with his stand that the administration will not only be defined by the massive infrastructure it has built but also by the strong institutions it has put in place.
He said: “We are here today to sign one of the most important laws that will shape the future of this administration and our dear state: the Oyo State Mobilisation Agency for Socio-Economic Development Bill (2004).
“I want to thank Prof. Jerry Ghana, who held a pioneering role as the Director of the Mass Mobilisation for Self-Reliance, Social Justice, and Economic Recovery (MAMSER), after which we have designed OYMASED. Sir, I thank you so much.
“I also thank the members of the Assembly for the timely passage of this Bill and for continuing to collaborate with this administration to deliver good governance to the people.
“With OYMASED, we have an agency that will clarify abstract ideas in our state economic policies and educate our people about the law and political process.
“This agency we are creating today will serve as a rallying point for several key MDAs of the government.”
Governor Makinde added, “As a country, we have to prioritise production and we cannot be productive without mobilising our people behind what we want to do. When we broaden our productive base, that is when we know we are tackling the issue of taking our people out of poverty into prosperity.
“There is hunger in the land, which does not reflect where we should be as a nation. So, we must create a framework to harness our potential through mobilisation, sensitisation and advocacy. So, this agency is a key part of the framework.
“Also, when economic development is prioritised, continuous education is needed. You cannot win people’s trust if you do not clearly communicate where you are taking them.
“OYMASED will play a big role in the continuous mobilisation and sensitisation of the various demographics in Oyo State for the pursuit of social, economic, political and environmental development.”
Also speaking at the OYMASED Office during its commissioning, Governor Makinde reiterated his stance that the state only needs strong institutions to continue to thrive, stating that Nigeria would have to borrow a leaf from the pages of Oyo State in creating strong institutions to address its challenges.
Earlier in his address, former Minister of Information and National Orientation, Professor Jerry Gana, commended Governor Makinde for his giant strides and for establishing OYMASED, which he described as a good initiative.
Professor Gana said the agency would bring development and transformation to the state faster and better through involvement and mobilisation of the people in governance, as they are the major stakeholders.
Presenting the bill earlier, the Speaker Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin, thanked the governor for his unrelenting passion for the development of the state, stating that the bill embodies collective aspirations to lay the foundation of a robust framework that would drive the communities.
The Director-General of the newly created agency, Dr Thomas, also assured that the objectives for the establishment of OYMASED would be achieved and that the Makinde administration would leave a lasting legacy for coming administrations.
