Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde has reiterated that the present administration in the state will continue to priorities the welfare of the workers in the state.
Governor Makinde gave the assurance during a merit award dinner party organized in honor of outstanding workers in the state.
The event which held at the front of the Presidential Lodge, Government House, Agodi Ibadan, saw workers in the state who have served the state meritoriously in their various fields, honored and given due recognitions as they were hosted, wined and dined with Governor Makinde during a dinner party held on Monday.
Addressing the awardees and other well wishers present at the occasion, the state Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, congratulated the awardees, saying that workers in the state do not need to lobby for whatever belong to them.
While charging them to be more dedicated in discharging their duties, Governor Makinde said that the reward for hard work is more works, adding that their merit awards will serve as motivation for others to give their best while serving the state.
Governor Makinde however solicited for more cooperation from the people of the state and urged them to be partakers rather being rumour mongers, who spread lies in order to misinform the innocent citizens of Oyo State.
He said: “First, I will like to thank the Merit Award organising committee for a job well done in the sense that I signed all the award letters in the early hours of this morning. While signing, I was able to recognise about three names who have worked closely with me. So, for the rest of the awardees, it was a decision taken without any influence from anybody.
“I am thanking them for validating that this is our Oyo State. It is the state where you do not need to lobby for whatever belongs to you. So, I want to, on behalf of all of us, say thank you. And for my colleagues, the reward for hard work is more works. We will keep pushing you to even do more.
“I listened to some of the speakers’ goodwill messages. They were showing appreciation for prompt salary payment, timely promotions and all of that. Well, I wish I did that with my money but the answer is no. It is our commonwealth because the money belongs to all of us. So, we have to utilise it for the benefit of the majority of our people. I will always say that we are in this together, and we have to do what is needful for the benefit of all of us.
“Of course, few years ago, all of us seated in front of you were not here. If you call the Chief of Staff at that time, it was a different name not Honorable Ogunwuyi or the SSG or even myself. So, government will come and go. Players will also come and go but our state will remain. Whatever we are able to do, the people that are coming behind us will be able to continue from there.
“When I look at people feeding false news into our environment because they are looking for power – they want to govern the state, I feel bad. Must they wish our state bad luck because they want to govern the people? If all the bad wishes come to pass, when they get to power, they will be grappling with the problems instead of continuing and improving on the legacy that have been built.
“Few weeks back, I got a report that a member of the House of Representatives was attacked. I was seriously concerned and called the security agencies. They went to the location and tried to comb all the corners of where they said the incident had occurred, but they came back with the verdict that nothing of such happened. I left Iseyin Saturday and shortly after I got to Ibadan, I read in the news that a clergy was kidnapped and stray bullet killed a mechanic. I sent, again, intelligent people around and they are still looking for the place as of this moment.
“TESCOM, SUBEB are working really hard to improve the state of our education in Oyo State and they are supposed to be encouraged but some people said Oyo State is now number 33 in WAEC ranking. Of course, WAEC came out and debunk the false news. Sometimes, I just sit back and ask myself how somebody, who wants to govern this state, will be wishing something bad for the state. So, what I am saying is, all of us in our different communities must let the people be aware that this administration will continue to wish the state something good and better. Tell them not to listen to those wishing us bad in the state.
“I am glad that the ALGON is here. When we came in, we met backlog of salaries of about 11 local government areas that were not able to pay salaries as and when due, and we took it up. We cleared those backlogs. Now, they are saying we are strangulating the local government administration – taking their money and spending it on their behalf. Well, we are not. But for us as a state, we should not forget where we are coming from. We can still remember they ran an administration, which refused to conduct local government elections for seven years in this state but we did not do that. Whatever they accused us of is wrong. But at least, we have elected local government administration in Oyo State. Those are some of the things that I can remember while I was listening to people.
“For the awardees, we will continue to prioritise the welfare of workers in the state. That is why we have industrial harmony in Oyo State – the TUC, NLC, ourselves are not at loggerheads. Our people remain at the centre of this administration. We are here to work together; to lift our state up, and I am glad that some of you have put in the necessary hard work and you are being rewarded for it.
“Within the system, we may have others who are not hardworking or not motivated. It is your duty to motivate them and get the best out of everyone working with you. Those little efforts should be put in and, at the end of the day, we will set our path from other states in Nigeria.”
In her address, the state Head of Service, Alhaja Ololade Agboola, commended the workers friendly policies of the Seyi Makinde led administration, describing governor Seyi Makinde as a liberator of workers, who had restored the lost glories of the state civil and public servants since he took the mantle of power.
In their various remarks, the state labor leaders, some state commissions chairmen and representatives of the awardees showered encomiums on Governor Makinde and promised to reciprocate his magnanimity with continuous support.
The Programe had in attendance, the Deputy Governor of the state, Barrister Bayo Lawal, the SSG, Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun, top government functionaries, state lawmakers, heads of parastatals, among whom was the General Manager of BCOS, Mr. Tunde Ajayi and an awardee from BCOS Mrs. Bunmi Lawal.