The governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has approved the conversion of ad hoc staff in the state’s 33 local government councils to permanent staff.
The governor stated that the decision was made to close the workforce gap at the local government level, noting that the employment process must be followed effectively and completed within four weeks.
Governor Makinde made the announcement during the official inauguration of the newly built Local Government House and Staff Training School, which took place at the Secretariat in Agodi, Ibadan.
He assured the public that his administration would continue to look for new ways to support and collaborate with local government officials for the benefit of citizens in order to realize his vision for the state.
He stated, “We will continue to collaborate with the local government so that our vision at the state level can be sold to local government administrators. When we work together, we can accomplish more.”
The governor also stated that when he took office in 2019, he encountered a local government system that owed salaries, pensions, and gratuities.
He stated: “Primary school teachers’ leave bonuses were last paid in 2017.” Primary schools, primary health care centers, and other facilities were in poor condition. However, we have paid the primary school teachers’ leave bonuses for 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.
“So we had to figure out how to reduce this deficit, and we are not going to play games with anyone because they are our own people. We insisted that first-line items be drawn against the LG account. It was a home-grown method of ensuring that unpaid pensions and gratuities were paid. We have paid over N18 billion in pension backlogs, as well as over N15 billion in retiree gratuities.
Makinde stated that his administration has worked with the Local Government Councils to upgrade 209 PHCs, equip 264 PHCs, and complete approximately 60 model schools. He also stated that his administration, in collaboration with local government officials, had built and renovated hundreds of primary school classrooms through the Oyo State SUBEB intervention project.
Makinde stated: “We inaugurated the first set of about 40km of roads in Ibadan in July, and there is still about 60km to go in this first set. When we leave Ibadan, we will travel to different zones. So, rest assured, we will continue to look for new ways to collaborate with the local government administration for the benefit of our citizens.”
According to the governor, the newly constructed complex will provide a comfortable environment for local government employees while also increasing their productivity.
The governor also stated that facilities within the State Secretariat would be renovated and transformed before the end of his administration in 2027.
Mr. Williams Akin-Funmilayo, Commissioner for Land, Housing, and Urban Development, described the new complex as a monumental achievement and thanked Governor Makinde for his wise leadership in guiding the Local Government Service Commission and the Local Government Pension Board.
He praised the governor for adding value and introducing new concepts to local government services 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 prioritizing the welfare of local government employees.
The project consultant, Mr Olalekan Akingbade, who spoke on behalf of the University of Ibadan Ventures, described the newly-inaugurated LG House as a masterpiece with state-of-the-art equipment.
Earlier in his welcome address, Honourable Ademola Ojo, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, stated that the structures are the first in the history of Oyo State and Nigeria, and 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.
Giving the vote of thanks, Dr Remi Ayodele, chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, urged Oyo State residents to continue praying for the governor so that he can continue to deliver democratic dividends to the state’s people.