…Says, production, exportation key to nation’s economic recovery
By Adeyinka Adeniran
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state on Wednesday said notions and insinuations about his views on the ongoing debate local government autonomy in the country.
Apparently reacting to those who feels he’s not at home with the freedom and independence of the third tier of government, Makinde said he has no issue whatsoever with elected officials performing their constitutional duties but would continue to speak against lacuna that is created where none existed.
This is as the governor also said local productions and exportation of items to earn foreign exchange are the only way out of the current economic quagmire in the country.
Makinde spoke at the official commissioning of the newly-built Local Government House and Staff Training School, located inside the Oyo State Government Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
The governor also at the event approved the conversion of ad-hoc staff to permanent staffs in the service of the 33 local government councils to fill the over 2000 vacant spaces created by retirement, relocation factor among the workers.
He said despite challenges, the state I’m collaboration with the local government has been able to upgrade primary healthcare centres, equip some PHCs, fix schools, pay outstanding salaries, pensions and gratuities of local government workers among others.
He wondered if putting up such a structure, the first of its kind for those he described as local government family is in tandem with the insinuations that he never liked the local government administration.
He urged those who feels they have better solution to solve issues in the state to come forward with their ideas, noting that the current set of leaders are not the most intelligent around, but are committed to adding value ro the lives of the residents and people of the state.
He added that the new structure will mark the beginning of more renovations of old existing structures withing the Secretariat, noting that many of the structures on ground are begging for maintenance.
Makinde said “I remember before we came to office in 2019, I came into the Secretariat to see if I could find a new building anywhere, but I couldn’t. Although, I saw one, it was the place the Solid Mineral Agency currently occupy.
“A lot of the buildings till date are in dilapidated state because they have not been maintained. We will see how much maintenance we will be able to do before we finish this tenure. Because it is actually a shame, some people built this Secretariat and for us, it is to maintain it. Even we have portholes inside Secretariat. Go to some of the roads inside here.
“This building is a start of the renovation of the buildings within the Secretariat and turning our Secretariat into where productivity will reign supreme.
“What I will refer as an irony is the fact that, it is the same local government that people are going around town saying Seyi Makinde is trying to destroy the local government administration. Is it not ironic that this building we are commissioning is the first modern building for the LG family to stay in. Is this how to destroy something? Well if that is the way to destroy something, we will continue to do this kind of a thing so that they will not have anything to say again around town.
“Let me say this, in a country where there is a trust deficit between the leaders and the led, it is no wonder that some people will always take advantage of situation to fan the flames of disunity or choose to push unintended narratives and perceptions.
“As I said in my last state broadcast, we must always remember who our real enemies are so that we do not turn against our friends.
“I’m here to repeat myself unequivocally, I am not against elected representatives of the people carrying out their constitutional duties, but what I will speak up against is anyone trying to create a constitutional lacuna where none exists or to turn one arm of government against the other.
“Here in Oyo State under my watch, we will continue to make decisions that will bring the full benefit of democracy to the good people of Oyo state. And we are aware of the role that the local government authorities have to play in ensuring that democracy and its dividends reach people at the grassroot.
“But, in design, this is suppose to be the function of the local government areas but in practice, there have been several factors that have militates against local government areas achieving this goal.
“When I came in here, the NULGE President representative said we have adhoc staffs, they are pleading that about 2,000 local government workers have retired and they have not been replaced and they suggested that we convert some of these adhoc staffs to permanent local government staffs.
“Even with the autonomy, there will still need to be coordination. Who cares in Oyo State if a road is constructed by the local, state of federal government? Just construct road for people to pass on, that is what people are interested in.
“So, we will continue to work and coordinate with the local government so that our visions at the state, we can also sell to the administrators at the local government level and when there is synergy we can achieve more.”
He said further, “So, for the adhoc staff, since we still have the control to take decisions, which I’m sure the local government people will gladly accept, you will be converted. I will give the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters about four weeks to follow due process, interview the people and the ones you find that can be employed, let us employ them so that we can bridge that gap.
“When we came in in 2019, we met a local government system that was owing salaries, pension and gratuities. For Primary school teachers, their leave bonuses were last paid in 2017. The same thing happens to PHC facilities, Primary schools, inner roads, they were all in a bad shape. But, for the primary school teachers, we have paid their leave bonus from 2017 to 2023. So, we have have to figure out a way to reduce these deficits. I won’t play games with anyone because it is our own people.
“So, we insisted that first line items must be drawn against local government account. It was a homegrown way of ensuring that outstanding salaries, pensions and gratuities are paid. And so, we are insisting that those first line items should be taken out. We have paid backlogs up to over N18billion in pension. We have also paid some retirees their gratuity, they have been paid over N15billion.
“And I make bold to say, those people criticising us, please criticise us by all means, but criticise us constructively. If you have a better solution, please bring it forward. The solution that been provided have just mentioned to you the result it has yielded to us, so if you have a better solution, it is our state, it is our country and it is our people, we will listen to you and I am still saying before and the entire world that those of us in this administration are not the most intelligent around here and we are also human. So, if you challenge us, but don’t do so with politics in mind, don’t do so because you want to bring down the house.
“We have worked collaboratively with the local government councils to upgrade 209 PHC centres and equip 264 PHCs. We have completed about 60 models schools and constructed and renovated hundreds of primary school classrooms through the Oyo SUBEB intervention projects. Yet, when you see the state of most schools in Oyo State, you will realise that it is still like a drop in the ocean. We have a lot more to do, and the key is productivity, productivity and productivity.”
Speaking on the nations economy, the governor said although most people always call out when they hear the big figures state governors collect from the FG, he said the purchasing power of the money is limited in the real sense.
“What we are sharing in Abuja is very limited. When we people governors are sharing so much FAAC, but in real purchasing power parity, what are we talking about? When we started this project one
“So, what is the solution forward? The solution is that, we must be productive. And we must not just focus on import substitution, the solution is we must export. When you export, you earn some foreign exchange that can help your economy. They build Cocoa House here, years back, they were not selling the Cocoa within Nigeria, they were exporting even in the raw form and the amount that kept coming back, they were able to do some of their projects.
“They were not selling palm oil inside Nigeria, they were not selling groundnut inside Nigeria, but now we know that we can have value addition, we can even earn more. That is the solution to our economic challenges that we are faced with. We must be productive and we must export. Our industries must be geared towards export. Oil alone cannot solve these problems for us”, he added.
Speaking earlier, he Commissioner for Land, Housing and Urban Development, Mr Williams Akin-Funmilayo, described the new complex as a monumental achievement, appreciating Governor Makinde for his insightful leadership in guiding the Local Government Service Commission and the Local Government Pension Board.
He commended the governor for adding values and bringing new things to local government service and Oyo State in general.
In their separate goodwill messages, the National President, National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Ambali Olatunji, represented by the Vice-President of NULGE, South-West Caucus, Comrade Babalola Abimbola, chairman of the Oyo State Local Government Staff Pension Board, Honourable Akeem Ige and chairman of the Oyo State Local Governments chairmen, Honourable Sikiru Sanda, commended Governor Makinde for prioritising the welfare of local government staff.
The project consultant, Mr Olalekan Akingbade, who spoke on behalf of the University of Ibadan Ventures, described the newly-commissioned LG House as a masterpiece with state-of-the-art equipment.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Honourable Ademola Ojo, said the edifices are the first in the history of Oyo State and Nigeria, adding that Governor Makinde’s administration has implemented unprecedented worker-friendly policies in the state.
Ojo urged the staff to imbibe good maintenance culture of the facilities.
