…Vows to punish lawbreakers, reward those lifting state
By Adeyinka Adeniran
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has said the year 2024 is a year of Rule of law in the state.
The governor who noted that he will not speak any negatively in the new year said those who do no evil has nothing to be afraid off, adding that he will only punish lawbreakers and reward accordingly those who strives to lift the state in the new year.
Makinde made the disclosure on Tuesday in a remark at the annual Inter-faith Service for civil servants in the state.
The event organised by the state government has in attendance members of the state executive council, top government functionaries, labour leaders, civil servants, religious leaders among others.
According to Makinde, three of the major projects embarked upon by the administration will come to fruition in 2024, harping on the need for the residents to have a positive attitude, maintain law and order so as to show to investors, the states readiness as investment destination.
Makinde said “Year 2024 will be a year of great turnaround for Oyo State. Three of the projects we are doing will start coming into fruition.
“Let me also say, all we are doing are all ingredients for our state to be prosperous but the real thing that will make our state prosperous is our attitude to ensure that our environment is orderly.
“We have seen several people killed because someone was driving against traffic, so I solicit for your support, 2024 is a year of rule of law in Oyo state. We dare to be different from others.
“Some of us have lost our sense of good and bad. People driving against traffic, me as the governor I will stop them and tell them the implication as many of them seem not to know.
“Our road median are dumb site and we want investors to come, we want people to come and invest in Oyo state. Land grabbers, those are the challenges. People believe Ibadan must be ruled by iron fist, but Oyo state is not only about Ibadan, there are other regions who don’t share the same belief.
“But, we must work together, there must be order, sanity within our environment and that is the only time we will standout as serious investment destination.
“In the scale, Lagos is about 120km away and the monthly IGR is over N60billion, our own IGR is between N3.5bn to N3.7bn monthly. What do they have in Lagos that God has not given us in Oyo state, so, please we have to work together to ensure that we create a serious state.
“So, on that note, be positive about our state. I will not say anything negative in this 2024, I’ll be positive but I will punish the lawbreakers. If you don’t break the law, you don’t have anything to worry about. And I will do good to everybody that is striving to lift this state up.”
The governor further charged the people of the state to hold him accountable on the management of the state commonwealth in the new year.
He said all the achievements he has been able to make in the almost five years of his administration has been a product of support and encouragement of the workers, labour leaders and some key individuals
“I like to say that, if we say this administration achieve anything, it is due to the support and contribution of all of you. Seyi Makinde cannot single handedly do anything without the support amd back up of many of you. I want to thank all of you including the labour leaders.
“No one is perfect, the fact that we disagree, it is normal in any human endeavours because there is no way we will work together without disagreement, but all we disagree to agree on is what is paramount. We put the interest of the state ahead of all other interest, even ahead of your own personal interest. We sat down and we spoke and you said there was pressure on you and there was pressure on me too.
“But, we both agreed that government will come and go, but our state will always be there. My mother was a telephone operator in this Secretariat, so I was a child of a civil servant. So, if you are saying Seyi Makinde paid wage award, he paid 13th month, it is not Seyi Makinde’s personal money, it is our commonwealth.
“Please in this new year, hold us accountable. If it is the money that my biological father left in a bank, I can spend it anyhow. But, because it is our commonwealth and because, just like I said earlier, government is a continuum, we that we are here today, we can’t get it a hundred percent right.
“There use to be some government, those good things they did that we saw were good, we will build on it, and we are building on it. So, if you see that we approve something, that, you think something is wrong somewhere, please call our attention to it”, he added.
Makinde also at the event solicited for the support of the workers, labour leaders among other stakeholders noting that there lies ahead a big challenge that will require the collective support of everyone.
He assured that his administration will be willing to go back to the negotiation table with labour leaders on the minimum wage saying the current N30,000 payable is nothing in the fave of current economic reality.
He said “When I came in four years ago, we negotiated minimum wage with the union amd the consequential adjustment, I said I don’t want to do go second term but some people persuaded me that we should complete the works we started and now I am back to where I have to sit with labour and negotiate another minimum wage and things like that.
“Well, I take it that it is my own luck that I should be the one to negotiate the minimum wage. Because the situation is really challenging. Someone told me that a loaf of bread is now almost N1,000. But, even at N1,000 someone who earns minimum wage eats a loaf everyday, that means the N30,000 will only buy daily bread and that is without any other thing yet.
“So, we have to do something. We must do something. Why does government exist? Government exists to look after the welfare of our people.
“We have challenges ahead of us, we have to find means to ensure that we keep tending to the welfare of the civil and public servants in Oyo state as well as looking after those projects that will make life more meaningful, that will unleash the creativity that is in them so that we can have a prosperous state.
“It cannot be a one sided thing. We have to engage, align and move forward. So, those challenges of labour leaders, don’t see it as us versus them. It is us and us together to find a workable solution because we are in a very challenging period. But tough times don’t last but tough people do.
“I promise you openness, complete openness so that we can take a decision and serve the best interest of all of us. I will also guarantee a secured future for us”, the governor added.
Earlier in their various messages, the speaker State House of Assembly Rt Hon Adebo Ogundoyin, and the State Chief Judge Justice Iyabo Yerima, represented by Justice Omolara Adeyemi, commended the good leadership qualities of Governor Makinde, promising to work for improve relationship among the three arms of government in the state.
The Secretary to the state government SSG, Prof Adenike Adeyemo, who equally appreciated governor Makinde for putting the interest of the state first, also charged the state workers to be conscious of their health status.
In her Opening remarks, the state Head of Service, Mrs Olubunmi Oni, who reeled out various unprecedented workers friendly achievements of Governor Makinde, charged the state workers to strive for excellence, and ensure that the State Public Service remains the pride of the nation.
Highpoint of the programme was special prayers session, sermons, songs, scriptures readings, by religious groups present at the event.
