“We Will Soon Stop Depending On Federal Allocations” – Oyo State Governor Makinde Assures

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde yesterday said that the era of going cap in hand to beg for federal allocations would soon be over in the state.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted Makinde as making the declaration during a thanksgiving service held at the Living Faith Church (a.k.a. Winners Chapel), Bashorun, Ibadan.

According to the statement, the governor further stated that the idea of relying solely on federal allocations would soon be a thing of the past in Oyo State, as, according to him, the state’s Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) will be drastically improved through enhanced tax collection procedures.

“We want to ensure that the era of going cap in hand to Abuja to beg for allocation will soon be over in Oyo State,” he said.

The governor also stated that his administration would continue to provide social amenities that will make the dividends of democracy get to all the people in all the nooks and crannies of the state.

“We want the people of Oyo State to be able to have dividends of democracy right on their doorsteps,” he added.

Makinde, who stated that his administration rested on four pillars, which include education, health, security and economic expansion through agric value-chain, said that intervention lessons would soon be organised to assist the final year secondary school students in their WAEC and NECO examinations.

He said:

“The four cardinal programmes of this government include education and that is why free and qualitative education has come to stay in Oyo State.”

“For our WAEC students, we should be starting intervention lessons for them shortly.

“We also want to fix our healthcare delivery system and improve the security system so that we can be safe to pursue our aspirations.”

He, therefore, admonished the people of the state to keep praying for the success of his administration, adding that he will always lead with the fear of God.

The governor noted that prayers were necessary and that except God builds the house, those putting the structures together may work in vain.

In his sermon, Bishop Thomas Aremu commended the governor for introducing free education, saying that he was a product of free education.

He urged him to intensify efforts on collection of taxes for the government to get enough funds to execute the free education policy.