…says Makinde ‘ll further fulfil Electoral Promises

In its bid to ensure that the needs of the residents across the geo-political zones of the State are captured in the Year 2025 budget, Oyo State Government through the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, on Monday engaged stakeholders in Oke – Ogun Zone One and Oyo zone.

The Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Prof. Olanike Adeyemo, while speaking at the consultative meeting at the Iseyin Local Government Secretariat, called on residents of Oke – Ogun to be united and join hands with Governor Seyi Makinde in his quest to take the State from poverty to prosperity.

She explained that Governor Makinde led administration in the State has taken several actions to lessen the burden of the residents of the State amid economic challenges facing the people, adding that the Governor will continue to fulfill all his electoral promises to the people of the State.

She maintained that the present administration will continue to take feedback from the residents through similar consultative interaction, while assuring that budget implementation would be duly monitored .

Similarly, Member, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Gbenga Oyekola, who spoke on behalf of Governor Seyi Makinde at the Afijio Local Government Secretariat, Venue of the meeting in Oyo Zone, assured the people of the zone that the Government will look into the documents gathered critically with a view to incorporating their requests into the Year 2025 budget.

Governor Makinde noted that the essence of the annual engagements was to avoid misplacement of priority during budget preparation, hence the need for the people of various zones to attach importance to the ongoing consultative meeting and contribute meaningfully.

He affirmed that a reasonable percentage of the requests made by the people of the State during the previous stakeholders’ engagements on budget preparation had been attended to, noting that the Government is on the verge of engaging fourteen thousand (14,000) teachers in both the public primary and secondary schools in the State.

The Governor added that five thousand (5,000) health personnel would also be engaged within the shortest possible time by the Hospitals Management Board, while the Civil Service Commission would also commence its recruitment process.

While commending the participants for laudable contributions, Governor Makinde sought continued support and cooperation of the traditional rulers and other stakeholders for his administration.

He urged the traditional rulers to embrace peaceful co-existence in their localities for the overall development of the State.
In his goodwill message, Onifiditi of Fiditi, Oba Sakiru Oyelere, called for the incorporation of traditional institution in special committees, particularly the security committee.

The revered monarch, however, prayed for the success of the Governor Seyi Makinde led administration.

..To attend 2025 Budget consultative meeting

Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, will present the Agenda 2040 for Oyo State on Wednesday.

The Governor will present the Agenda at the Consultative Engagement Meeting on the 2025 Budget scheduled to hold at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan.

Recall that the Governor had, in November 2020, inaugurated a Steering Committee on the Oyo State Agenda 2040, taking a cue from the Federal Government’s preparation of Agenda 2050, which seeks a holistic transformation of the country’s economy, as obtained in countries like China, South Korea, India and Malaysia.

The State’s Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Prof. Musbau Babatunde, said the Governor expressed his desire to produce the maiden 20-Year Development Plan ‘Tagged Agenda 2040’ for Oyo State and the Five Years Medium Term Development Plan to address the socio-economic drift and refocusing the State on the path of progress.

He noted that the Medium Term Development Plan 2023 to 2027 is the implementation plan for the Agenda 2040, stating that the medium term development plan provided the forward-looking intention of the Government and good people of Oyo State and also set goals, objectives and strategy for achieving them.

He added that the documents articulate the State’s vision, projecting the State beyond 2027 and that they are premised on the need to create expanded opportunities for all.

Babatunde said: “The development of these documents was driven by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, supported by DFID/PERL, DAWN Commission, UNICEF and University of Ibadan Ventures Limited (consultancy service unit) through Professor Olusanya Ajakaiye.

“The objectives of Agenda 2040, which is anchored on the four pillars of Education, Health, Security and Economy, include to make Oyo State the most secured State in Nigeria for conducive economic and social development; raise educational standards to the top through the provision of qualitative basic, secondary, non-formal and tertiary education; provide and sustain the availability, accessibility and affordability of required healthcare services to the citizens, particularly the needy.

“Other objectives are to improve farmers’ productivity and value addition by strengthening production in areas of comparative advantage for commercial agriculture; accelerate infrastructure provision in key areas and adopt Public Private Partnership arrangements; improve Internally Generated Revenue through development of new sources and improvement of existing ones through innovative and purposeful modes of revenue collection and utilization.

He continued; “another objective is also to make Oyo State the hub of economic activities and investors’ preferred destination in Nigeria; and employment and job creation through provision of productive and sustainable livelihood for youths in Oyo State.

“The expected result of the Agenda 2040 is that it is expected to translate economic growth into equitable socio-economic development that guarantees a dignified and meaningful existence for all; optimise the State’s human and natural resources potentials to achieve accelerated development from poverty to prosperity and create an enabling environment for private investments (domestic and foreign) to thrive through Public-Private-Partnership (PPP).

“It is also expected to increase sustainable production, productivity and value addition in key growth opportunities; increase the stock and quality of strategic infrastructure to hasten competitiveness and development; enhance Human Capital Development, and strengthen mechanisms for quality, effective and efficient service delivery.”

Signed
Sulaimon Olanrewaju
Special Adviser (Media) to Oyo State Governor