Gratitude is something that a lot of us take for granted. Somehow, a lot of us feel that we can only express gratitude when everything is fine. But we know that as far as this world is concerned, everything cannot be great all the time. So, we must be grateful for what we have. In showing gratitude, we will receive even more.
Many would describe 2020 as a tough year. However, our 2020 is not defined by these events. As the first stanza of that song says, “When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.” So, let me recount some of the blessings that 2020 brought us as a people..
Sometimes, I hear people say, why are you praising him for doing his job. And I ask, will you berate them if they don’t do their jobs? Then is it not logical to praise people who do theirs? So, I join in praising Governor Nyesom Wike, my brother, for the work he has done here. I say to him well done. At the same time, I say keep on doing even more, so that more people will keep celebrating you.
So, with this inauguration of the Oyo State Anti- Corruption Agency (OYACA), we are sending out a clear message, here in Oyo State, we have zero-tolerance for corruption. Any person elected, employed or engaged in any capacity in the public or civil service in Oyo State, who accepts or promises to accept money, fees, donations, loans, gifts, or any other reward for rendering a service to members of the public will be investigated and made to face the full wrath of the law.
We continue to maintain a positive outlook for 2021. Many of the projects we started in 2020 have less than 18-month cycles. So, we will see a good number of projects initiated by our administration completed in 2021.
We all know that information is a weapon. The meaning of the saying, the pen is mightier than the sword is not lost on us. So, you journalists, can use your pen – or keypads as is more applicable these days – to either develop the nation or destroy it. One wrongly worded headline can spark a burn down the entire nation.
The successes that we have recorded so far are due to your continuous support of our fiscal policies…In the past year, we have made significant progress in the actualisation of our plans for Oyo State. We have been able to lower our infrastructural deficit, make improvements in healthcare delivery, improve the quality of education and achieve milestones in our security systems.
As I have argued on various fora, for governors to really play the role of Chief Security Officers of their states, state policing is the way forward. I am confident that someday, we will get enough support at the national level to achieve that constitutional review. But, for now, we will settle for the next best thing.
Since one of the “fundamental drivers of economic growth” is our university education system, we should be thinking of comprehensive reform programs that will reposition our universities as growth drivers. Policymakers should be concerned about the type and quality of education that we are offering to the youths. It should be an education that prepares them to be active drivers of our economy.
Some people have said it will not yield any results. Well, the only way it can produce results is if people present their cases and bring evidence to support them. So that the panels can make their recommendations, which will then be adopted and implemented.