In the News this Week
- Oyo State Government announces revised completion date for the 12.5 km Challenge-Odo-Ona Elewe-Apata Road.
- Governor Seyi Makinde keeps promises to pay Oyo State Government workers outstanding cooperatives deductions.
- Oyo State Executive Council approves expenditure on the Sustainable Actions for Economic Recovery (SAfER) programme.
- Governor Seyi Makinde flags off the distribution of food relief packages in Oyo State.
More in the news for the week of August 28– September 1, 2023
Project Update
The Oyo State Government has announced the revised completion date for the 12.5 km Challenge-Odo-Ona Elewe-Apata Road. The Commissioner for Public Works and Transport, Prof. Dahud Shangodoyin, who inspected the road, stated that the road is expected to be completed within the next three months. Expressing satisfaction at the progress made thus far, Prof. Shangodoyin emphasised the significance of the road to the economy of the state. (26 August, 2023)
Payment of Outstanding Deductions
Governor Seyi Makinde kept his promise to pay Oyo State Government workers the remaining two months of outstanding cooperatives deductions with their August salary. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour Affairs, Comrade Bayo Titilola-Sodo, acknowledged the payment while highlighting that Oyo State did not have a wage backlog. Comrade Titilola-Sodo praised the government for its commitment to workers’ welfare. The Oyo State Pension Board also requested that pensioners earning less than ₦5,500 should submit their original Pension Certificates for immediate harmonisation and further review. (29 August, 2023)
SAfER Programme
The Oyo State Executive Council (ExCo) approved the expenditure on the Sustainable Actions for Economic Recovery (SAfER) programme and adopted the submissions of the 15-person SAfER Implementation Committee. The Council approved a total expenditure of ₦149,199,682 for the transport component ₦2,636,871,500 each from the local and state governments for the food relief package component. A total of ₦1,701,053,782 was also approved for the food security component, which includes ₦1,000,000,000 to YEAP beneficiaries with established businesses and smallholder farmers, while ₦510,000,000 was approved for the low-interest loans to small businesses. A total of ₦1,000,000,000 comprising health insurance for 50,000 pensioners and 100,000 vulnerable households was also approved. The ExCo also announced a phased rollout of the distribution of the food relief package from Thursday, 31 August 2023. (August 29, 2023).
Food Relief Packages Distribution
Governor Seyi Makinde flagged off the distribution of the food relief component of the Sustainable Actions for Economic Recovery (SAfER) to vulnerable Oyo State households in Oyo Town. Governor Makinde stated that the food relief packages are to be distributed to 200,000 households through the SAfER program, emphasising that the SAfER programme included sustainable actions rather than giving palliatives. Simultaneously, the Deputy Governor, Secretary to the State Government, Chief of Staff, Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, Commissioner for Culture and Tourism and Commissioner for Trade, Industries, Investments and Cooperatives led distribution efforts in Saki, Iseyin, Ogbomoso, Ibadan Less City, Ibadan Main City and Eruwa, respectively. The SAfER Food Relief Package contains 10 kg of rice, 5kg of beans, 5kg of garri, 5kg of yam flour and one bottle of vegetable oil. (30 August, 2023).
Working Visit
Governor Seyi Makinde received the Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency David Umahi, on a working visit to Oyo State. Governor Makinde talked about some of the projects currently being executed by his administration, including the 34.85 km Oyo-Iseyin Road, a federal road reconstructed by the Oyo State Government to be commissioned on 15 September 2023; the 76.67 km Ogbomoso-Fapote-Iseyin Road, and the 35.53 km Ibadan-Iwo-Osogbo Road. His Excellency also highlighted ongoing federal road projects: Ibadan-Oyo, Ibadan-Ife/Ilesha, and Ibadan-Abeokuta, seeking areas of collaboration with the Federal Government regarding federal projects being carried out in Oyo State; and the planned installation of streetlights on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, a joint effort of the Lagos, Ogun and Oyo State Governments to enhance security on the road. 31 August, 2023.
Read past editions of the Oyo State Government Feedback Newsletter.