Governor ‘Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday, inaugurated a nine-member Oyo State Elders’ Council.
The governor, during the inauguration, called on members of the Council to provide his administration with robust suggestions and feedbacks from across the state.
The Council, which has its members drawn from all the zones of the state, included a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees and former Chief of Staff to Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, Dr. Saka Balogun, as chairman.
Similarly, a former Minister of Steel Development, Elder Wole Oyelese, would also serve as the co-chairman of the Council.
Other members included Alhaji Hamid Gbadamosi, a former deputy governor in the state; Chief Mrs Mutiat Ladoja, wife of former Governor Rashidi Ladoja; Chief Jacob Adetoro; Chief Adedamola Eyinade; Alhaji Nureni Akanbi; Ambassador Ronke Adefowope and Chief Sunday Ogunlade.
Speaking shortly before the inauguration, Governor Makinde said his administration had done well in transforming Oyo State in terms of its politics and governance.
He made a particular reference to the peaceful conduct of the House of Assembly by-election in Saki West Local Government Area, where the PDP lost.
He said the result showed that he had moved Oyo State away from the politics of violence and the win-at-all-costs syndrome which used to be the order of the day before he assumed office on 29 May, 2019.
Governor Makinde said: “We are just coming from a by-election, which we lost three days ago.
“First, it is a demonstration that, in Oyo State, we have moved away from the politics of brigandage and getting results at all costs because we allow the will of the people to prevail.
“But we are proud that it is our state and we are not doing anything to jeopardise the peace, progress, and development of our state.”
He added that his administration did its best to uplift the state during the first four years of his first term, noting that it has built on that achievement in the last eight months of his second term.
He, however, noted that the government is aware that there is still room for improvement and would stop at nothing to ensure that residents of the state get the best of service.
“We did our best on the four pillars of our administration during the first term. We have some areas which we need to improve upon.
“The Elders’ Council will provide the platform to look at those areas where we need improvement and come up with suggestions.
“Let me commit that every other month, I will be having a scheduled meeting with the Elders’ Council so that you can contribute, and for us to have a remarkable difference from how we operated in the first term.”
