exwife

.Vows not to bow to pressure

.Promises to review pensioners’ wages

JOSEPH  OKWUOFO , Ibadan

The Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, has insisted that those involved in the stampede at the Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan, which claimed the lives of at least 35 children, must face trial.

The stampede had occurred at a charity programme organised in Oyo State.

Makinde said he wasn’t against the suspects being granted bail in the case.

According to him, the case must be heard regardless of the status of those involved.

His comments came following calls for leniency by some persons that similar tragedies in Abuja and Okija in Anambra did not lead to prosecutions wondering why Oyo State was different.

Makinde spoke at the 2025 Annual Inter-faith Service for state workers held on Monday.

The governor said that while there may be no prosecutions elsewhere, the case will be different in Oyo State.

He said: “Even if nobody is held accountable elsewhere, in Oyo State, the rule of law will prevail.”

 “In the outgone year, we faced challenges. 2024 started for us here in Oyo State almost on a tragic note. On 16th January 2024, we had an explosion here in Bodija. It affected even my office. The impact was felt all around Ibadan. We’re closing it out.

“And then, towards the end of the year, we had the stampede at Islamic High School, Bashorun. 35 innocent souls were lost; may we not see such again in Oyo State.

“Quite a number of people have been reaching out to me, saying, ‘Oh, this incident happened in Anambra State. It also occurred in the FCT. Nobody went to jail. Why is it that in Oyo State, some people are going to jail?’ I said, ‘Well, Oyo State is not Anambra State, and no matter how highly placed, justice must be done.’

“The judiciary is here; it’s in their court. If you think you can grant bail pending trial, I have nothing against it. But for the trial, the people must go on trial.

“So, people come to me, and I’ve been saying to them, ‘Oyo State, even if this entire country decides not to follow the rule of law, in Oyo State, we will follow; we will dare to be different. We will uphold the rule of law.’”

It would be recalled that owner of Agidigbo FM, Oriyomi Hamzat, the estranged queen Of the Ooni of Ile-Ife, Naomi Silekunola, have been remanded in custody over their roles in the stampede that killed many and which led to an outrage nationwide.

Meanwhile, Governor Makinde has promised to review pensioners’ wages and gratuities, clear the backlog of arrears and revisit the Contributory Pension Scheme in the state.

He also vowed to get rid of banditry and other crimes, charging traditional rulers to oversee and exercise authority in their domains with a view to helping the government improve security in the state.

He made the remarks at the 2025 Annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, the 6th edition since 2019, held at the Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

The governor commended the state’s workforce and the labour union leaders for their support and cooperation since the inception of his administration, charging them to put in more effort towards validating their values as public/civil servants.

He also congratulated the 45 newly-appointed Permanent Secretaries, emphasising that most of them merited the appointments after going through rigorous examinations and screening exercises.

The governor advised them to see their appointments as the beginning of good things in their lives.

He said: “I want to use this opportunity to say thank you to our Labour leaders. I sincerely thank you for what you are doing on behalf of our state.

“I have been extremely lucky to have met this set of labour leaders. You have cooperated with us. Well, we are working towards the same purpose and you have demonstrated that over and over again. So, I sincerely thank you.

“To the workers, your disposition and support have given us a lot of encouragement and I want to urge you to keep it up. The way we lay our bed is the way we will sleep on it. Don’t relent and I believe tomorrow will be better.

“To the new Permanent Secretaries, I want to say congratulations to all of you. I can say it openly and you are there to validate this — 80 per cent of you emerged strictly based on merit. Gone are the days in Oyo State when Permanent Secretaries were appointed on the basis of who you knew or who knew the governor.

“You have done exams, passed in flying colours and you have been appointed Permanent Secretaries.

“By the grace of God, on Monday, I will swear you in. Take this as the beginning of good things in your life.

“This is also a validation of what Oyo State Civil Service stands for. We have said everyone will be rewarded for his hard work. “

He added, “I want to make an announcement here today regarding the pensioners, because we negotiated minimum wage and consequential adjustments but yet to finalise that of the pensioners. We will do that this week. We will do it because pensioners must also survive. They have given their best to the state during their prime. The last time the Oyo State Government negotiated a pension review was in 2007.”

The governor also said that his administration would make an effort to fully address the issue of pensioners’ gratuities, which he noted is over N80 billion for state and local government pensioners.

Earlier in their separate remarks, the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, represented by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Muhammed Fadeyi, commended the governor for his relentless efforts towards developing the state.

He assured that the 10th Assembly would not relent in performing its constitutional duties as expected.

The Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Iyabo Yerima, represented by Justice Olusegun Olagunju, also lauded the governor, charging the workers to rededicate themselves to the service of the state in 2025.

Similarly, in her welcome address, the Oyo State Head of Service, Mrs Olubunmi Oni (mni), appreciated the governor for his unwavering commitment to the welfare of the civil/public servants and pensioners despite the challenging economic situation in the country.

She noted that the governor had improved the quality of lives and also boosted the morale of civil servants by providing the much-needed stability and security for their households.

Oni equally commended the governor for the newly-approved minimum wage, the appointment of unprecedented number of Permanent Secretaries, Surveyor-General and Executive Secretaries in the public/civil service and the approval to conduct 2023 and 2024 promotion exercises for public/civil servants.

Mrs Oni also commended the governor for the mass recruitment across Ministries, Departments and Agencies as well as infrastructure development.

She urged the entire workforce to remain effective, efficient, transparent, disciplined, loyal and supportive towards actualising the Oyo State Roadmap for Sustainable Development, 2023-2027.

In their separate goodwill messages, the State Chairmen of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Kayode Martins and Comrade Bosun Olabiyi, respectively, appreciated Governor Makinde for enhancing the welfare of the workers through prompt payment of salaries, payment of 13th month salary, payment of wage award and the approval of N80,000 minimum wage and consequential adjustment.

They promised continuous and total support to the Makinde administration.

The event had in attendance the wife of the Governor of Oyo State, Engr. (Mrs) Tamunominini Makinde; Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Barr. Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal; the PDP Deputy National Chairman (South) and former deputy governor of Oyo State, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja; former deputy governors of Oyo State, Engr. Hamid Gbadamosi and Barr. Hazeem Gbolarumi.

Also in attendance were the wife of former Oyo State Governor, Chief Mrs. Mutiat Ladoja; members of the Oyo State House of Assembly; President, Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Tajudeen Abdulganiyu; and former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Senator Monsurat Sumonu.

Top government officials in attendance include the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi; Deputy Chief of Staff, Hon. Fola Oyekunle; PDP Women Leader (South-West), Alhaja Bose Adedibu; Oyo State PDP Secretary, Alhaji Wasiu Adeleke; chairman and co-chairman of the Elders’ Council, Dr Saka Balogun and Elder Wole Oyelese and members of the Oyo State Advisory Council; labour union leaders; religious leaders and traditional rulers, among others.