Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State inaugurated an eight-member State Advisory Council on Monday with a mandate to advise him not for personal interests but in the interest of the generality of the people of the state.
The council, which has Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN, as chairman, was inaugurated at the governor’s office, State Secretariat, Ibadan.
Those advisory council members present at the inauguration were Senator Monsurat Sunmonu, Senator Gbenga Babalola, Barrister Michael Lana, Honourable Babatunde Oduyoye, and Chief Bashir Ajibade, while the immediate past chairman of the council, Senator Hosea Agboola, and Mr Kamorudeen Adedibu, were absent.
Pronouncing the inauguration of the council, Governor Makinde said he expects the council to help him get feedback from the people on the actions of his administration and sift through an avalanche of ideas and suggestions to ensure he takes decisions that are in the best interest of the majority of Oyo people.
The Governor said he looked up to advice from the committee regarding how to address issues like infrastructure deficits in schools, staffing and equipping health facilities, gaps in the enforcement of the rule of law, illegal mining, environmental and social infractions, and ensuring orderliness in the state.
He said the council also bore the burden of governance with him, stressing that if decisions go wrong, whether based on their advice or not, they will share the blame with him.
Makinde promised to quickly address issues brought to his attention by the committee, as long as they were sustainable and beneficial to the people of the state.
With Senator Sunmonu as the only female presently on the council, Makinde said he intended to bring in two more females to make up a ten-man council.
Just after their inauguration, the advisory council went into an inaugural meeting held in the conference room of the Secretary to the State Government.
In his remarks before the start of the meeting, the council chair, Chief Ayorinde, promised that the council would be quick to pinpoint issues that would promote good governance and bring them to the attention of the Governor.
He said the council will come up with policies that will innovate, grow, and sustain sectors like tourism, education, healthcare, security, energy, water supply, environment, agriculture, food security, solid minerals, land, housing and urban development, youth empowerment, sports development, social inclusion, women and child rights, and promoting ease of doing business.
Asked about the absence of two of the members of his council, Ayorinde said: “There is no member of the committee that is a stranger to the committee or governance in Oyo State. We are all brothers and sisters, and we are talking to each other.
“Obviously, they couldn’t make the programme today, but they are very much with us.”
When the Nigerian Tribune reached out to Hosea Agboola about his absence amid perceptions of some misgivings, the former senator simply responded, “Regards and thanks,” not making a further comment.
Also inaugurated by Makinde on Monday was the governing council of the Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, with Professor Ayoade Ogunkunle as Chairman.
Other members of the governing council are Professor Josiah Ajiboye, Professor Abass Adedibu, Chief Isaac Koleoso, and Mrs Funmilayo Orisadeyi.
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