A member, representing, Ibadan South West state constituency 2 in the Oyo State House of Assembly Hon. Oluwafowokanmi Oluwafemi Adebayo has lauded the strategic approach of Governor Seyi Makinde towards governance.
Oluwafowokanmi, while speaking with journalists in his office on Thursday, on the commemoration of Governor Makinde’s 365 days in office, expressed satisfaction over the performance of Engr. Seyi Makinde, who he described as a person with large heart and vision for development.
He also applauded the state governor’s approach towards curtailing the spread of coronavirus in the state.
Hon. Oluwafowokanmi, who is the chairman, House on Education, noted that the policy of the present administration to complete the abandoned and uncompleted projects inherited from the immediate past government, rather than embarking on new ones, should be commended.
He added that if past administration can also take the steps taking by Governor Makinde Oyo State would have better for it and achieve more development.
According to Hon. Oluwafowokanmi, “I want to commend the governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde for his large heart to find it worthy to complete all the ongoing and abandoned projects of the immediate past administration. If you could remember properly towards end of the past administration, numerous contracts were awarded which they were unable to complete. Most of them were done half way, some are 30 percent, some are 10 percent or 50 percent situation before this administration took over. When Governor Makinde came on board, he believed that those projects are embarked on with the state money, people’s money that must be properly accounted for and serve the purpose of which it is spent. Examples are Idi-Ape-Iwo-Road, go there now, everywhere is tarred and completed and Idi-Ape-Basorun-Akobo Road, which is at point of completion.
“This is one of the areas I want to give Governor Makinde a pass mark because if you could observe the past administration throughout its eight years tenure, most of projects inherited from their predecessor, Governor Akala were left unattended to. Example is New-Garage-Elebu-Apata road. The road contributed to the traffic deadlock we always experience around Ring-Road, Challenge because it is always busy. It could have been an alternative route for motorists coming towards Ring-Road, Challenge, New-Garage and for those going to Abeokuta but the past administration left it unattended to. If the past administration had taken the same step Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde is taking now, we would have had an ease of traffic within that axis,” he said.
On his assessment of the governor’s performance on workers’ welfare, Oluwafowokanmi posited that the aspect of the civil servants’ welfare is what endeared Governor Makinde to the people of the state. He added that if he were to score the governor he will score him 100 percent.
His words, “in the aspect of the of the civil servants’ welfare, the governor scores 100 percent. He did so well to the extent that he was given an award during the last Workers’ Day. This is because you can see the level he’s fulfilling his promise on workers welfare, by prompt payment of civil servants, taking care of pensioners, settlement of arrears since 2011 left unattended to by the past administration.”
“Governor Seyi Makinde is taking the civil servants as his priority, he believes that when the workers are well taken care of, they will deliver and that is why till date, almost twelve months now, the governor has not owing any worker monthly salary.
The Chairman, House Committee on Education disclosed that Governor Makinde’s policy on education has not only returned large number of out-of-school children back to school but has also raised the bar of education in the state.
He said the Governor Makinde’s cancellation of #3,000 education levy imposed by the immediate past administration has encouraged the children from poor homes to return back to school.
“The governor did not only cancel #3,000, he supplied textbooks and notebooks which we have never seen or experience in the history of the state. Governor Makinde even extended the gesture to all registered private schools by giving them compendium of past questions for the senior secondary school students so that children of the well-to-do in the state too who are in private schools should benefit and pass WAEC in flying colours.
“If you don’t forget, during the past administration used their first year in office to plant flowers across the state, and could not find their bearing. Despite what we met on ground, coupled with dwindling federal allocation, the government is still able to pay salaries at when due, give free education and in addition, gave out textbooks for public schools’ students, and compendium of past questions to senior school students in the state, to prepare for West African School Council Examinations (WASCE). This is an effort to move the state from its 26th position to one of the best two by God’s grace.
Speaking on his effort as the chairman on house committee on education, to assist the government to improving education in Oyo State, Oluwafowokanmi said efforts are in the pipeline to bring together every stakeholder to discuss education at primary school level.
“One of my campaign points was to collaborate with state government to raising the standard of the education and part of the initiative is to create a platform that will enhance massive renovation of our public primary schools. Primary school is the basic and it is the foundation, foundation which determines the structure and if the foundation is not strong, the structure cannot be strong because everything rests on foundation.
“So, we are creating a platform to bring together well-to-do people and assist the government to renovate our primary schools. In addition to this, I am working on a bill to provide avenue for periodic training and assessment for primary school teachers to renew their knowledge and skills in order to be update and be compliance with latest development around the world. The bill will allow teachers of primary schools to have access to training and as well be assessed after their training to know the level of their assimilation.
The lawmakers said both the planned platform and bill would compliment each other, explaining that while the bill would address the quality and standard of education, the platform will take care of the structure.
Speaking on his efforts to give dividend of democracy to the people of Ibadan South West constituency 2, Oluwafowokanmi hinted on his upcoming empowerment programme to commemorate his one year in office.
“I have been reaching out to the people in my constituency in one way or the other over the time, to widows and aged. I have assisted in repairing drainage in an area within my constituency, to allow free movement of vehicles. The empowerment programme is for about 100 people to commemorate my one year in office. It is designed to give them what they can live on, make self sufficient and make them employers of labour,” he concluded.
