“This strategic plan document identifies specific challenges to major governance issues in Oyo State which the current administration was unable to effectively address in its two-term tenure. It outlines the proposed strategies we plan to implement to address these issues upon assumption of office in 2019. One significant feature of the strategic plan is to specify the magnitude of the tasks involved.” Engineer Seyi Makinde, 2018.
29th May of every year is symbolic in Nigeria; it was the day that the men in khaki eventually returned to barrack and Nigeria became a democratic country. Since 1999 when this fourth republic was birthed, Oyo state has had five Governors; with the latest being Engineer Seyi Makinde. The then candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in his manifesto: the social contract he signed with us-the people of pacesetter state-made certain promises. The document, titled, “Oyo State Roadmap for Accelerated Development 2019-2023” contained the lofty goals that he intends to achieve, with timeframe attached to the goals. Having spent a year in office, it is not wrong to see how far he has achieved; of course, with his manifesto being our guide.
On Agriculture, we need to ask Governor Seyi Makinde about the rural feeder and farm settlement roads in the state; modern central fish market; Agricultural training centre for youths at farm mechanization; Small scale irrigation schemes for farms on existing dams in the 4 agricultural zones; amongst others. Of course, these were laudable programmes that the then candidate of PDP promised to achieve within 6 months- 1 year of his administration (Page 25).
Primary Health Care and Health Insurance Scheme were identified as policy thrust of Engineer Seyi Makinde, if elected by the people of the state. It is not wrong if we ask about the Ward Development Committees (WDC) and Facility Development Committees (FDC) that he promised to constitutes in our Primary and Secondary Health Care within his 90 days in office (Page 39). Has the WDC been “fully integrated in the planning, implementation and evaluation of healthcare service provision in the spirit of community participation”? How far has the state gone with the “pilot community-based health insurance (CBH) schemes in each of the senatorial zones? How many organizations have we identified to participate in the state health insurance scheme? Has the state enrolled all workers in her employment into the state-oriented health insurance scheme?
On education, of course, we need to give kudos to his administration for fulfilling the promise that he will increase the percentage allocated to education when he becomes the governor. While we await the implementation of the budget, and see what would be done differently, the governor should be reminded that we are looking forward to “Increase access to quality education at primary and secondary levels for ALL eligible Oyo state children by 10%, financing of the education sector, improve the quality of schools, amongst others.
On Youth empowerment programmes, the manifesto identified the interventions to be made by Engineer Seyi Makinde to include: vocational skills acquisition programme and entrepreneurial training, establishment of graduate youth employment scheme, establishment of integrated farm settlement schemes, establishment of skills acquisition centre, establishment of waste to wealth creation business clusters, establishment of state entrepreneurship development centres, resuscitation of vocational training schools and centres, establishment of business support centre across the state, establish entrepreneurship development institute of Oyo State, institute youth mobilization programmes, establishment of sports centres/facilities. While timeframe was not attached to the fulfilment of these pledges, may we remind Governor Seyi Makinde that a quarter has gone in the life of this administration and nothing has been done out of those promises! Women’s Right, Child Right, Disability Right and our Vulnerable Elderly People are still yearning to see the fulfilment of the promises made by the Governor too.
As we celebrate the first-year anniversary of this administration, let us remind the Governor that it is high time he fulfilled the promises he made to us during the electioneering process.
Shuaib Olorunnisola Azeez is resident in Ibadan
