How are you doing today? The weather has been very hot in Nigeria lately, but in Oyo State, it is still Omituntun.

They say the number seven represents completeness, perfection, and wisdom in various contexts. We hear of things like the seven days of creation, and the seven colours of the rainbow, and now in Oyo State we are celebrating seven times of consistency and commitment.

For the seventh consecutive time, our administration will be paying the 13th-month salary to all civil and public servants.

When we made this promise in 2019, many thought it would be a one-off gesture. But year after year, we have kept that promise — not by chance, but by choice.

Our ability to do this rests on one simple principle: prioritisation.

From the very beginning, we decided that people would come first — that every worker would be paid what they are due, when it is due. It would be a first-line item from State to Local Government expenditure.

What some governments fail to realise is that unpaid salaries do not just hurt families; it hurts the entire economy. Every salary paid on time injects liquidity into the local economy — it feeds the markets, sustains businesses, and keeps commerce alive across our State.

This is why salary payment in Oyo State is not an isolated act of goodwill; it is part of a bigger strategy for economic stability.

Just recently, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) ranked Oyo State number 3 in Nigeria for ease of doing business. For context, Oyo State has always ranked low in this index in the past. This improvement did not happen overnight; it is the result of sustained policies and disciplined governance.

As we celebrate this seventh time of keeping faith with our workers and our people, I want to assure you that the vision remains the same — to build an Oyo State whose growth is not tied to one person but to a system that works. In the next few months, I will suggest my preferred successor to the good people of Oyo State — someone who supports this vision, who will build on what we have done and take Oyo State even further.

I understand that sometimes, not every decision we make is popular at first glance. But every decision is guided by one principle — the best interests of the people of Oyo State. So, I ask you, once again, to trust the process.

What we are building in Oyo State and beyond is bigger than any one party or politician. We must stay focused, spend very little time mourning what could have been, and strengthen what has been gained — our institutions, our progress, and our shared commitment to good governance.

Working together, we have built a government that keeps its word — one that pays what it owes, delivers what it promises, and plans for what lies ahead. Let us keep that faith, and let us keep building.

Talk to you again soon,