Governor Seyi Makinde’s Speech at the Inauguration of the Oyo State Tenth Assembly

Being the Speech by His Excellency Seyi Makinde, the Executive Governor of Oyo State, at the Inauguration of the Oyo State Tenth Assembly on Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Last year, when I presented the 2023 Budget Speech, I spoke into existence the expectation that we will see you again in the Oyo State Tenth Assembly. That expectation has become today’s reality.

And so, it is once again my immense honour, pursuant to Section 105 (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), to issue a proclamation for the holding of the first session of the Tenth Oyo State House of Assembly.

I welcome all of you, thirty-two newly elected honourable members of the Oyo State House of Assembly. Let me formally congratulate the fifteen members of the House on their re-election and seventeen newly elected members.

Let me also congratulate Rt Hon Debo Ogundoyin for emerging as the Speaker of the Tenth Assembly and Rt Hon Mohammed Fadeyi as Deputy Speaker of the House.

I remember the first time I had the opportunity to address you four years ago as we inaugurated the Ninth Assembly. I prayed then that we would work together and forge a new type of synergy.

Some think political opposition is all about perpetually fighting the ruling party. They do not grasp the basic principle that we cannot progress in disunity. They do not understand that trade-offs lead to progress. But here in Oyo State, we are setting the pace and showing them what is possible when we put aside partisan politics and put the interests of the good people of Oyo State first. As a result, we witnessed accelerated development in our dear state.

So, as we usher in sustainable development under Omituntun 2.0, I again ask that you work with us.

I ask that you work with us as we continue to make education a priority. We have promised the good people of Oyo State that we will continue to allocate 15-20% of our budget to education and that we will take all actions necessary to return another 20% of our out-of-school children to the classrooms. Of course, these budgets will be sent to this house to be passed into law. Our expectation is that when we present our budgets, they will be passed in good time.

I ask that you work with us in continued infrastructural development. We have promised the good people of Oyo State that we will continue to extract all the value trapped in moribund assets in the State, that we will complete the 110-kilometre Senator Rashidi Ladoja Circular Road and that we will create a modern take to the Dugbe Business District at Ilutuntun in Akinyele Local Government Area among other promises. We will come to you for support as we take decisions that will make these deliverables possible. We expect that you will support us to benefit the good people of Oyo State.

I ask that you work with us as we strive to be the first state to provide 24/7 electricity supply to our people. We have already started the process by presenting a bill before the Ninth Assembly. The Oyo State Electricity Regulatory Commission Bill when passed into law will allow partnerships with the private sector on large-scale energy provision. This will ensure efficient and uninterrupted electricity generation, distribution and supply in the State to promote economic growth.

I ask that you work with us as we seek to sanitise our state and clear all nuisance that prevents us from portraying a world-class environment. We are proposing a new agency, the Oyo State Mobilisation Agency for Socio-Economic Development (OMASED). Through this agency, we will harness our sensitisation and enforcement efforts for an orderly Oyo State on waste management, market sanitisation and urban development. We expect that when we come to you, you will deliberate on this timeously so that this instrument can be used effectively.

On healthcare, we will double up our efforts to ensure that the good people of Oyo State have access to affordable healthcare services. All wards that do not presently have a tier-four Primary Healthcare Centre (PHCs) will be prioritised. At the same time, we will embark on equipping the over 200 PHCs that have already been renovated. As we promised our people, Omituntun 2.0 will be better than 1.0.

Of course, with the Tenth Assembly fully in place, we will send you the names of the Commissioners and other officials who will be working with us to deliver Omituntun 2.0. We expect that they will be quickly confirmed so that the wheels of governance continue to move steadily.

Mr Speaker Sir, honourable members of the house, as we inaugurate the Tenth Assembly and share our visions for sustainable development under Omituntun 2.0, we remain firm in our resolve to continue to deliver good governance to our people to the glory of God and to benefit the good people of Oyo State. We believe you will work with us to achieve this goal.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Long live Oyo State.