Chairman, Oyo State Park Management System (PMS), Mr Tomiwa Omolewa has declared that the era of hooliganism, consumption of hard drinks, and smoking by commercial motor operators at parks across the state is gone.
Omolewa made this declaration after the Oyo State government, on Thursday, inaugurated the state executive council of the Oyo PMS, at the House of Chiefs, State Secretariat, Ibadan.
Inaugurated alongside Omolewa were Mr Kasali Lawal as Secretary; Tajudeen Jimoh, Vice Chairman; Mr Kamorudeen Idowu, Treasurer; Mr Adeniyi Tirimisiyu, Financial Secretary and other state excos.
Speaking after the council was inaugurated, Omolewa declared that it was a dawn of a new era in Oyo Park Management where its members shun illegalities and are law-abiding.
He said the park managers had sworn to abide by the peace pact signed with the state government and hand over erring members to security agencies.
Omolewa added that the park managers were committed to the development of the state by serving the people of the state not harassing them.
Omolewa curried the support of the people of the state by pinpointing anomalies of the park managers promising to correct and make things right.
Since June 2023, Tomiwa-led executives had been controlling the activities of PMS until a further reorganisation announced by the Oyo State Government on January 16, 2024.
At Thursday’s event, the excos swore to an oath administered by the deputy director, the state Ministry of Justice, Mr Adegboyega Salawu.
Nigerian Tribune quoted the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr Olusegun Olayiwola, in his statement, as saying that the park managers were empowered to move against those who flout traffic rules and hand them over to relevant agencies.
Olayiwola said the state government would not condone unwholesome acts at parks and would hold responsible anyone found engaging in acts inimical to peace, progress and development of the state.
Furthermore, he enjoined park managers to embrace the culture of accountability at the various parks.
On the composition of the executives, Olayiwola said all tendencies of motor park managers had been incorporated in the new executive council and urged anyone who feels left out to report their misgivings to him.
He added that the state executives had a mandate to also inaugurate excos across the 33 local government areas.
