By Olawale Ogunbusola
It is another time to hit down my pen on the present administration in Oyo State under Governor Seyi Makinde, especially in respect of multiple jobs provided within the last six months in the state. What a classic performance!
I must begin to commend the governor for drafting forward the state, almost all round, particularly in the area of job creation. Right from his first year in office, Governor Seyi Makinde has been a factor. Security enhancement. Infrastructure enhancement. Right appointment made a watchword and openness to criticisms and adjustment.
Makinde is a political magician (my opinion though). Does it mean an engineer understands every area of life, probably by being scientifically inclined? Should that be a conclusion? Oyo State Governor is just a divinely positioned “Joseph” of this period. He dreamed, and has been interpreting dreams for far people and himself for due progress. I think some other time, I will elucidate on that.
Today, I am giving it to the governor of Oyo State in the area of employment growth. The entire world, right from year 2006 has been critically battling with economic recession, which 2020 pictured the reality. COVID 19 threatened the global economy, with its negative social impacts felt until now.
The Nigeria Bureau of Statistics’ monthly report on inflationary growth is a testament to poor livelihood of seventy- five percent of the said 220 million Nigerians. If the wealthy lament, how much more the ‘noble’ poorest of the poor as made out by Seyi Makinde himself in the year 2020 with cossets of palliatives by both the federal and state government?
The reality is, things are hard. I feel it crazily well. Education unaffordable. Health inaccessible. Security alarming. Infrastructure in shambles. Food and fuel imminently hikey. Complaints flying here and there. Of these, the governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde, FNSE, DSc, GSSRS insisted employing youths either graduate from universities, polytechnics and colleges of Education/Technicals, in a country where plenty of state governors fizzle how to pay standing workers owing to the recent and new minimum wage, becomes a reality.
From this year April, employment galore! Jobs for medical graduates and doctors into the Health Sector through the Oyo State Hospital Management Board chairs by experienced talisman in medicals and road management, Mogaji Akin Fagbemi, followed by unimaginable recruitment of 7,000 primary school teachers, to break long standing embargo on the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, chairs by most religiously educationist, Dr. Nureni Adeniran, moving on to recruitment of also 7,000 secondary school teachers to the Post Teaching Service Commission, TESCOM, under the leadership of experienced father and administrator, Pastor Akin Alamu, automatic absorption of Local Government Adhoc Staff at the commissioning of Local Government Service Commission and Training Centre on October 2nd, 2024 under the purview of Oyo State NULGE Chairman, Comrade Ayodele Adeogun and commissioner for Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Chief Ademola Ojo “Ijaya” and finally for now, mild ongoing recruitment into the Civil Service Commission in the state, under the leadership of Alhaji Kamorudeen Aderigbe including the Persons with Disability, under the purview of ever friendly, Director- General, Barrister Ayodele Adekambi and Executive Assistant, Hon. Femi Timothy.
This is unprecedented. Makinde is a job provider. Putting food on youths and successful applicants’ table will go along way to hold families together, tackle joblessness, lawlessness, ill-thinking, poor socio-economic contribution and insecurity. A real map for incoming government irrespective of political affiliation. This is turning to reality of agenda of Late Governor Abiola Ajimobi- Blessed memory -” Ajigbangba” making Oyo State a modern state. Governor Seyi Makinde is a positive table turner!
Yet, we cannot fail to appraise the Oyo State House of Assembly under the most experienced at the moment and speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, for deeming it fit to investigate poor productivity in the state, recommending need to deal with abscondment in the the state service owing to out-of-country syndrome, fondly called “Japa”.
And particularly huge contributions of the majority leader, Hon. Sanjo Adedoyin, Hon. Samson Babalola, the deputy Majority Leader and Member representing Egbeda State Constituency, Hon. Razaq Mabaje, Ido State Constituency, Chief Whip and Member Representing Atiba State Constituency,Hon. Gbenga Oyekola, Deputy Chief Whip, Hon. Yusuf Adebisi”Omo Currency”, Hon. Gabriel Babajide, Ibadan North II State Constituency, Hon. Dr. Dawood Olalere,Ibadan North West State Constituency, how many of them will I count. The success now was laid legislatively by the entire House of Assembly.
To me, Makinde can still provide more jobs. He is a job provider while other administrators in Nigeria follow suit as to reduce poverty, mental deaths and out-of -the -country syndrome.
Olawale Ogunbusola, who is Prince FM’s State correspondent/ broadcast journalist, author, columnist, public affairs analyst, educationist and a fellow, Eccoerite Institute For Peace Advancement, writes from Ibadan (waseyori@gmail.com, olawaleasnews@gmail.com)
