Oyo: Makinde To Send Bill Setting Up Anti-Corruption Agency To House

Governor Seyi Makinde is to submit a bill setting up an anti-corruption agency for Oyo State as soon as the House of Assembly is inaugurated. The governor who vowed to waive his immunity and subject himself to the proposed agency if invited has also vowed to ensure the autonomy of the state’s local governments.

The governor spoke at a pre-inauguration seminar for the incoming state legislators just as he revealed that he was alongside fellow governors from the Southwest working on measures to address the insecurity challenges in the region.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted Governor Makinde as saying:

“The first Executive Bill we are bringing to you is for us to set up an Anti-Corruption Agency for Oyo State. And I will waive my immunity, if I am found not to be above board, to face that agency.”

Governor Makinde also explained his government’s determination to make Oyo State one of the safest in Nigeria by coming up with measures to tame insecurity.

According to him, the decision to proscribe the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) a few days after taking office was borne out of the resolve to ensure that the state is not held to ransom by a few individuals.

The Governor said that his government has a blueprint on the security sector, adding that his colleagues in the South West are also working together in that regard.

He said: “We are going to take the security of lives and property seriously. Few days after I was sworn in as governor, we proscribed the NURTW. I told them that we were not interested in stopping them from running their union, because it is registered under the law. But we cannot allow a few people to hold the state to ransom in the name of running a union. I am talking to the security agencies in the state; we know the flashpoints and we know exactly what needs to be done.”

The Governor also promised to work with the state Assembly to guarantee financial autonomy to the local government areas, while also promising to work with all political parties operating in the state.

He said:  “The task before all of us now is to make Oyo State better and I look forward to us working together. I want us to deemphasize party affiliations. I want this ninth Assembly to be the best ever in the history of Oyo State. I know you can do it, because some of the qualities that you need to make that happen, you all have them: experience, youthful energy, and commitment. So, we won’t have any excuse not to deliver.

Speaking on his decision to scrap the N3,000 education levy being charged by the previous administration, the Governor stated that he had no regrets keeping his campaign promise.

He said: “During my speech at the inauguration ceremony on May 29 at the Liberty Stadium, I said that the N3,000 education levy has been scrapped and a lot of people have been condemning the action, saying I should have waited to occupy the governor’s seat and see the magnitude of the challenges before making that move. We did our calculations and we found out that with the enrolment of students, we only require N1.2 billion yearly to take care of whatever the N3, 000 levy was being charged for.”

 And For More Nigerian News Visit GWG.NG