By Oladele Ogunsola
Oyo State Government has appointed 17 new Permanent Secretaries (PS) with a charge to them to run their offices with probity and transparency and not allow their personal interests to conflict with their official conduct.
The charge was given on Tuesday by the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde at the swearing in ceremony of the newly appointed PS held at the Executive Council Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Oyo State Government Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
In a statement made available to the media by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Dr. Suleiman Olanrewaju, the governor asked the new appointees to demonstrate loyalty and commitment to the state and to discharge their duties effectively in the interest of the state.
Shortly after the Oaths of Office and Allegiance were administered on the newly-appointed Permanent Secretaries, the governor disclosed that their appointment process followed the pattern of previous ones, where competence and merit, rather than undue interference, took the centre stage.
According to him, “when we came in, we instituted a system of rewarding excellence. So, all of you took exams and you have been taken from that list. We also tried to balance the geopolitical zones of the states. We again tried to balance, where possible, the religious interests but most of you got selected based on competence.
“So, that is why some people are out there saying they should have been selected. Perhaps they passed the exam, and did well. Perhaps they come from a geopolitical zone that has been overrepresented, it is possible. But just as you have sworn, I also did at the stadium that I won’t allow my personal interests to conflict with my official conduct
“Also, just like it is on the political scene, I say to people, ’Look, don’t be loyal to Seyi Makinde. Be loyal to Oyo State.’ So, I am saying the same thing to you. Governments will come and go. Players will come and go. I am on my way out of this place. By this time next year, a new governor would have emerged, and then he or she, will be putting his or her cabinet together. So what is the benefit of loyalty to me? Where would that take Oyo State?
“So, please, be loyal to our state, political parties will come and go and different people under different parties have served this state before. So, I implore you to do your best to serve the people of Oyo State”, the governor added.
The 17 new Permanent Secretaries include eight Permanent Secretaries for the mainstream, four from the Education sector, comprising an Inspector-General of Education and three Tutors-General, three from the local government sector, one from the House of Assembly Service Commission and the Auditor-General for the state.
The event had in attendance the Deputy Governor, Barr. Bayo Lawal, former deputy governor, Engr Hamid Gbadamosi, Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Iyabo Yerima, Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Musibau Babatunde, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Otunba (Dr) Segun Ogunwuyi, Head of Service, Mrs. Olubunmi Oni, mni, Deputy Chief of Staff, Hon Kazeem Adeniyi as well as commissioners, among other dignitaries.
From left, Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Iyabo Yerima; Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Barr Bayo Lawal; Governor Seyi Makinde; Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Debo Ogundoyin; Head of Service, Mrs Olubunmi Oni; Secretary to the State Government, Prof Musibau Babatunde and the newly appointed Permanent Secretaries, during the swearing-in of Permanent Secretaries, Inspector-General of Education, Tutors-General and Auditor-General for State by Governor Makinde, held at Executive Chamber Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Ibadan.