Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun has said that the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration has recorded several achievements since its assumption into office, in fulfilment of its promises despite the rots he met on ground.
Addressing members of the Southwest Group of Online Publishers (SWEGOP) in his office on Friday, Olatunbosunindicated that he is determined to ‘market and sell’ Governor ‘Seyi Makinde to the electorates when he is ready to seek a second term in office in 2023.
Olatunbosun, who emphasised the ongoing massive development of infrastructure to fast-track the socio-economic growth of the entire state, noted that before the advent of governor Makinde, the Oyo State never witnessed massive construction of road network, tied directly to the agricultural development of the state.
According to the Commissioner, the state governor, Engr. Makinde means well for the people of the Oyo state, and this is reflected in the ongoing transformation of the entire state.
An instance is the construction of the N9.9billion 65kilometre Ibadan-iseyin within the first two years in office, which linked the people of the Oke-Ogun area, the food basket of the state to Ibadan and other states. Another one is the ongoing 76.7-kilometre Iseyin-Ogbomoso road, which the governor approved to ease the movement of goods and services among the people of the state,” Olatunbosun said.
On security, Dr Olatunbosun hinted that Governor Makinde was committed to the security of lives and property of the people of the state through the provisions of logistics to security agencies in the state.
“Oyo has 1,500 amotekun personnel, which is more than what other southwest states have altogether. The Governor gave 100 Hilux vans and logistics in various forms were also given to them. State of the art communication gadgets was also given to the various regular security agencies in the state. While Light-Up Oyo, an initiative to light up the streets is to also improve the security in the state,” Olatunbosun noted.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner noted that security is under the Exclusive List, “hence the state of security in the states in the country is the reflection of the way the president handles security at the national.
“The lackadaisical attitude of the Presidency snowballed into the gamut of problems of insecurity across the country today. This can be seen in the unending cases of banditry, terrorism and kidnapping,” Olatunbosun lamented.
He further opined, “If the presidency has allowed the state governors in the South-West to equip the Amotekun, you can imagine how far the Oyo State government could have gone in curtailing the problems of insecurity.”
On the timely and regular payment of workers’ salaries, Dr Olatunbosun recalled that before the advent of governor Makinde’s government pensioners and workers were owed several months, but today workers and pensioners receive their pay on every 25th day of the month.
“I must tell you this that many traders and artisans smile home every month because without the workers getting their salaries on time, the economy of the entire state rests on government workers. Remember, Oyo State is a civil servant state. Prompt payment of salary is an avenue to expand the economy. Pensioners collect their pensions as at when civil servants get their salaries. So, as I said, the governor is committed to changing the lives of the people of the state for the better,” Olatunbosun said.
Earlier, the Chairman, SWEGOP, Olayinka Agboola, while thanking the Commissioner for Information and Culture for hosting members of the group, charged him to concretise the existing relationship between the governor and members of the group.
