Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has pledged his support for the push towards regional legislative integration aimed at creating policy cohesion in security and socioeconomic areas that engenders good governance.
Governor Makinde, who met with leaders of the south west states Houses of Assembly in the courtesy room of the governor’s office, Agodi Secretariat, Ibadan, equally proposed to host a regional legislative summit for lawmakers in Ibadan being the political headquarters of the region in order to equip lawmakers with requisite legislative skills for the task ahead, reports Daily Independent.
Chairman, South West Conference of Speakers, and Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeoye Stephen Aribasoye, who spoke on behalf of others commiserates with Governor Makinde over the recent explosion that rocked Ibadan and also victims as well as families of those who lost their lives to the blast.
Hon. Aribasoye, who disclosed that the South west conference of speakers had already commenced consultations with governors in the region noted that the lawmakers were on a tripartite mission to Oyo state which include commiseration with the governor and the people of the state over the recent tragic incident of explosion that rocked, Bodija area of Ibadan describing the blast as unfortunate, unnecessary which called for concern, particularly for speakers in the southwest.
Governor Makinde, in his remarks, commended the Speakers and the leadership of the south west state assembly for defying their political affiliations to form a common front in the interest of the region noting that he would draw a special lesson from such action.
“First, the observation that you are all coming together irrespective of the political platforms that brought you into office. It’s a big lesson and I must take special notice of that. You’re not saying oh! because this house of assembly is not PDP so, other parties won’t be carried along or majority is APC, we won’t recognize other parties, this is a demonstration that once elections are over, you have everybody being pulled together to govern and to give dividends of democracy to our people, and with what of have seen this morning I give it to the southwest conference of speakers. Please, keep it up.
“Let me also say that there cannot be democracy if we don’t have checks and balances in what we do and the state house of assembly is supposed to check the executive of the are not doing what is not in accordance with the grand norm, our constitution. It’s your duty to say no, and point it out, but It doesn’t mean that the executive and the legislative should constantly be at loggerhead.
“I like what Mr Speaker said. I think maybe there is a misconception where people think because you are in the house of assembly, you should play opposition to the executive, no. We are all pulling in the same direction, do your work but the end result is we want good governance for our people, we want development, and so far from the report I’ve been getting in the south west we have been extremely lucky as there is harmony in the states and thanks to yourselves because you have been cooperating with the other arms of government.
“We spoke on insecurity. It is a big challenge for us all. It is not just because somebody close to you or somebody that you know maybe arms length to you is being kidnapped or murdered, even people that we don’t know. We don’t want to lose any life unnecessarily. So, Many people may not know that on 9th January 2020, when we launched Amotekun here in Oyo State through the support and collaboration of other southwest states.”
“Prior to that date we went to the federal government and we ask to be allowed to set up state police, we did not get the approval president Buhari said he is not inclined to state police simply because some of the states are finding it difficult to pay salaries of their workers.
What would happen if you now recruit people and put guns into their hands and then they’re not able to pay salaries? and let me say this, I came into office May, 2019, and up until today is 30th, up until five days ago there is no month we did not pay workers salaries on the 25th of every month in oyo state.”
“It is not an issue of, can the states pay salaries? And we also went through economic turbulence anyway so, it is an issue of misconception because there are things in the exclusive list, concurrent and residual list, but the issue is, if there’s if there’s something in the exclusive list, you get the resources from the federation account for you to be able to meet up with the responsibility.”
“So, I disagree at that particular time and I still disagree today that the states are not in a position to maintain state police, we are in a position to maintain state police. In Oyo State we have 77 divisional police offices and we gave each of them vehicles, I have never seen where the federal government went to any particular state to give them the tools that they need.”
“The states are already maintaining the federal police because the federal police are looking after the local people. If the responsibilities are split because you are the lawmakers, you are the ones to spearhead these things, you also take resources from the federation account.
“So the issue of oh, I cannot maintain state police does not even arise. Give us that responsibility first, and let us see if certain states will not be able to maintain it. And as governors, we do peer reviews and compare notes.
“And since we couldn’t get state police, then we settled for Amotekun. Amd for Amotekun,all the states within the South west, we passed a common law for its establishment but please, we have to keep pushing for state police and you have the roles to play to make it a reality. If you need any advice or support from me you can be assured I’ll provide it.”
Earlier, the chairman of south west conference of speakers, Hon. Aribasoye acknowledged the giant strides of governor Makinde particularly in diverse sectors of the economy while noting that the governor’s approach to the Ibadan explosion was very commendable and proactive enough.
He disclosed that insecurity on high scale in the region has started to rear its ugly head with some recent events including the murder of two prominent monarchs in Ekiti state which falls under his state constituency.
He added that the conference of speakers in the South west was already putting finishing touches to some of its plans to deepen regional integration that would cut across security and socioeconomic areas suggesting that it was possible for the region to have a rail line within South west to foster economic development.
