By Yinka Adeniran, Ibadan
Almost seven months into his administration, Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde finally inaugurated 68 council bosses on Monday.
The Governor also signed into law the 2020 appropriation law passed by the House of Assembly.
While the inauguration of the caretaker chairmen held at the House of Chiefs of the House of Assembly Complex, the signing of the budget into law took place at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s office, Agodi Secretariat, Ibadan.
Addressing the new chairmen, Makinde said ensuring that no child is out of school, boosting local businesses and advancing the ways to guarantee effective solid waste disposal must be topmost on the priority lists on their new assignment.
The new 68 council bosses include 33 for the local government areas and 35 for the local council development areas of the state.
He charged the new chairmen to come up with plans to ensure that children are taken off the streets into classrooms, and, report issues that may be working against the state’s free education policy.
According to him: “What we are doing here today, inaugurating the Local Government and Local Council Development Areas Caretaker Chairpersons, is to ensure that a vacuum is not created in governance, and that our people continue to enjoy the dividends that accrue from electing a legitimate government.
“I have often said that this administration is people-centered and will continue to put the interests of the people first. You will agree with me that the closer government is to the people, the more impactful and meaningful the activities of government will be to them.
“Therefore, this inauguration is an integral and essential part of the good governance that we promised the people of Oyo State.
“Therefore, if we are to compare Oyo State to an enterprise with many branches, you are the Branch Supervisors taking responsibility of the affairs of the company at a local level.
“I would be happy to see your plans to make sure that children get off the streets and into the classrooms. I know you will have more opportunities to liaise with the parents in a bid to implement our free education policies.
He enjoined the chairmen to engage their constituents to discover the challenges facing waste management so as to gather relevant data as the state plans to develop effective solid waste management architecture.
Noting that the data will assist the state in costing and implementation, Makinde said it was imperative for the chairmen to work with the state Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and state Waste Management Authority.
READ ALSO: Gov Makinde signs N213bn 2020 appropriation bill into law
He reiterated his resolve to have in place a system for refuse disposal and waste removal by first quarter of 2020.
Before pronouncing the 68 chairpersons, Makinde also charged them to discover challenges facing local businesses with to view to ensuring that market and small businesses thrive.
Identifying thriving local businesses as critical to improving the state’s Internally Generated Revenue, Makinde urged the chairmen to coalesce with the state government towards removing all roadblocks to business growth.
Addressing top government functionaries, Speaker Adebo Ogundoyin and other lawmakers before signing the budget into law, Makinde thanked the lawmakers for “promptly scrutinising and passing the budget proposal”
He said the Appropriation bill for the year 2020 fiscal year represented the aspiration of the people of the state, adding that the government is targeting at least 70 percent budget implementation.
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