Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has declared that there will be a major overhaul of the state’s education infrastructure in 2025, noting that the government has been rearranging resources to do more for the sector.
The governor maintained that his administration has remained committed to improving the sector and has been achieving some results, but that it is set to do more to improve the all-important sector.
Governor Makinde stated this on Saturday, during a media chat on the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), which was also broadcast by several radio stations across the state.
The governor, who declared that a minute of silence be observed for the 35 children who lost their lives in stampede in Ibadan on Tuesday, described the incident as a monumental tragedy.
Governor Makinde noted that the incident and the Bodija Explosion, which took place in January 2024, were totally avoidable if the right things had been done by everyone involved.
He added that contrary to claims that the suspects arrested in connection to the explosion had been let off the hook, their matter has been before the appropriate authority and the law is taking its course, though it may be seen to be grinding slowly.
Explaining his administration’s determination to put in more efforts in turning around the education sector, Governor Makinde, said his government has consistently exceeded the UNESCO benchmark for budgetary allocation to the education sector because it believed that education should have priority attention.
Recall that the governor once declared that the state government would need close to N60 billion to address the needs in the state’s education sector, adding that though his government had been expending a lot on education, more still needs to be done.
He said: “We are trying to rearrange our resources to do more for the education sector. It is not for fun that since I came in, we have exceeded the UNESCO recommended figure.
“For tertiary institution, I can say we are doing well and I am satisfied.”
Also speaking on his administration’s commitment to expanding the economy of the state, Governor Makinde said his government would continue to do things that are in the best interest of Oyo State residents but that they must also realise that the government would have to strike whenever it has an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty, even when that decision seems harsh to the people at the point in time.
He added that the government has taken several steps to break the limitations faced by past administrations in the area of economic expansion, pointing out that the creation of housing estates, the planned corridor on the Senator Rashidi Ladoja Circular Road, among others, are parts of the steps being taken by the government, which will benefit the economy of the state and its people in the near future.
“Now, we have too many mouths to feed. How do we break out of the cycle of poverty? I want the people to know that this is their government, and we will continue to do things in the best interest of the people. But people should know that when you have the opportunity to make a lasting impact, you must strike.
“The vision of our founding fathers is not that of poverty. And those who have tried to develop the state had limitations, which we are trying to move out of. We need to produce more and expand our economy and provide opportunities for a whole lot of people irrespective of their political leanings and religions.
“Look at the issue of the Circular Road and some of the places we are opening up for development and some people describing me as a land grabber. I am not a land grabber. I am a firm believer in the saying that it is only an idiot that will continue to do something the same way and expect a different result. I believe that our leaders in the past tried their best.
“It is even the land grabbers that are calling me a land grabber. Some people are being investigated right now.
“The concept of the Circular Road, people may not understand it. They thought it would be like Iwo Road to Beere. No. It will be the very first motorway in Nigeria.
“The 32km stretch from Tech U to Badeku only has two exit points. How we want to develop the place requires that there must be a corridor.”
The governor equally noted that his government has been able to ensure a steady development of the state over the last five years.
He stated that the state’s budget performance has improved drastically over the years, saying: “We realigned the budget immediately we came in 2019. With that we were able to achieve about 48 per cent budget performance.
“Our first full budget was in 2020 before COVID-19 hit the world and, at the end of the year, we still did well to achieve about 60 per cent.
“Right now, we are well over 70 per cent. That is why, for us, you will notice that we have had stability in terms of how projects are executed and the people’s liveability in the state. ”
Governor Makinde also used the occasion of the media chat to clarify his position on the controversial Tax Reform Bill by the Federal Government, noting that he was not opposed to the tax reforms, but that the Federal Government needed to engage with a wider array of stakeholders to achieve a meaningful reform.
The governor, who was part of those who briefed the media on the position of the National Economic Council on the bill, following which he was criticised by a section of the public for opposing the tax reform bill, said Nigerians should learn to focus on the message rather than the messenger.
“At the level of the National Economic Council, we asked the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force a question on the whereabouts of the bill and he said that it was already at the National Assembly. I said if that was the case, why are you just coming here for us to debate and give you the approval as prayed. It amounted to putting the cart before the horse.
“It was an agreement reached unanimously at the NEC meeting; withdraw this bill from the National Assembly, let us have a wider consultation. If people have reservations here and there, it is something that is national and you can seek alignment. And when you align, it may be in the original form, or you may have to tweak it to accommodate whatever the stakeholders are going to say.
“I was asked to be part of the people that would brief the press, and my bit was to explain our decision on why the bill should be withdrawn so that consultation could happen with stakeholders, but some people just focused on the messenger as opposed to focusing on the message.”
