The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation has criticised the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, over the prolonged strike by resident doctors at the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso.

The organisation said the strike, which has lasted for more than 30 days, was taking a toll on healthcare delivery and exposing what it described as the government’s failure to adequately address the welfare concerns of medical personnel in the state.

The Director of Media and Publicity of the organisation, Bisi Oladele, stated this in a statement issued on Sunday.

The organisation also expressed concern over the 21-day warning strike issued by the Association of Medical and Dental Officers of Oyo State over unresolved issues bordering on welfare, remuneration and conditions of service.

According to the group, the situation was worrisome because medical workers were being forced to embark on industrial action over issues relating to allowances, residency training funds and salary arrears.

It said the resident doctors were demanding the payment of outstanding Medical Residency Training Fund and six months’ Minimum Wage arrears, among other welfare-related issues.

The organisation said the prolonged strike had negatively affected medical services at the teaching hospital, with patients who could not afford private healthcare allegedly left with the option of waiting for services to resume or seeking alternative treatment.

“The SSACO is concerned about Governor Seyi Makinde’s failure to sit with the striking resident doctors and find a lasting solution to their demands.

“As the strike prolongs, the resident doctors feel maltreated, while the masses bear the brunt of government’s insensitivity.

“Healthcare delivery is a critical service which serious administrations treat with urgency and with the importance it deserves. With this prolonged strike, our resident doctors are feeling maltreated while the masses suffer.

“The medical and dental officers across state hospitals have also served notice of a warning strike. This combination is a signal of government failure in the health sector. It is unacceptable in our dear state,” the statement read.

The group maintained that the situation could worsen if the grievances of health workers were not urgently addressed, warning that further disruption of services could have serious consequences for patients dependent on public hospitals for affordable and specialised treatment.

It challenged the state government to engage the striking doctors and resolve the outstanding issues, accusing the administration of treating their complaints with insufficient urgency.

The organisation further said healthcare would occupy a priority position in Senator Sharafadeen Alli’s Oyo AHEAD agenda, promising improved welfare and working conditions for health workers.

“Health workers and other civil servants will not be denied their entitlements. They will enjoy training and retraining, and they will have facilities to work with,” it said.

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has promised to place teachers at the centre of his proposed education reforms, with an enhanced welfare package to be introduced within his first 100 days in office if elected.

Alli made the pledge in a goodwill message to teachers in the state ahead of the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration.

He said the proposed package would include improved car and housing loans, special rural hardship allowances and a dedicated teachers’ housing and mortgage scheme, particularly for teachers serving in hard-to-staff areas.

The senator also promised to clear backlogs relating to promotions, inter-zonal transfers and secondments through a digital tracking system designed to reduce administrative delays.

According to him, his administration would establish annual State Teachers’ Excellence Awards, with cash prizes, vehicles, laptops and training grants for outstanding teachers.

He added that teachers serving in rural communities would receive special recognition under the proposed award scheme.

Alli further promised to establish a fast-track mechanism for retired teachers’ pensions and gratuities, with clear timelines for addressing outstanding arrears.

On professional development, the APC candidate said teachers would receive continuous training in digital skills, artificial intelligence tools, inclusive education and subject mastery.

He also proposed specialised recruitment and training for special-needs and early-childhood teachers, describing the two areas as important to building an inclusive education system.

On security, Alli promised a comprehensive school security architecture involving perimeter fencing, community security partnerships and rapid-response arrangements.

He said teachers affected by insecurity would also receive support and insurance packages under the proposed scheme.

The APC candidate said school heads would receive timely running grants through a digital accountability system, stressing that teachers should not have to use their personal money to provide basic materials for teaching.

He also promised accelerated renovation of classrooms, provision of furniture and improved water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, with priority given to rural and overcrowded schools.

Alli said his administration would expand access to Information and Communication Technology in public schools through solar-powered laboratories, digital devices and modern teaching tools.

On the challenge of children outside the school system, he pledged to intensify efforts to reduce the estimated 674,000 out-of-school children cited in available state education data through community mobilisation, incentives and public tracking of progress.

The figure has been reported as an estimate from earlier Oyo education data and should not be interpreted as a fresh 2026 headcount.

Alli also proposed an “Oyo Teachers First Compact”, with measurable targets covering teachers’ welfare, security, professional development and learning outcomes.

He said the framework would be implemented in partnership with the Nigeria Union of Teachers and other education unions.

“Our teachers deserve more than applause; they deserve a government that respects their sacrifices, protects their lives, rewards excellence and provides the tools required to teach effectively,” Alli said.

The APC candidate said teachers remained critical to human capital development, adding that education reforms would have limited impact if teachers were neglected or denied the tools and welfare required to perform their duties.

He therefore urged teachers to remain committed to their profession, assuring them that his proposed administration would work with education stakeholders to improve confidence in the state’s education system and learning outcomes.

A prominent youth leader in Oke-Ogun, Oyo State, Com. Anuoluwani Omidiji, has dumped the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and returned to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Omidiji, who was said to be a strong supporter of the APM, announced his return to the APC after meeting with the party’s Deputy Governorship candidate, Hon. Adesoji Adedeji, at the APC campaign office in Ibadan on Saturday.

He also returned to the party with his supporters.

In a statement personally signed by him and titled, “Seeing Before and Beyond APM: A Reconstructive Voyage Back To My APC Home,” Omidiji said his decision followed careful reflection on his recent political engagements and personal convictions.

He identified youth inclusion, grassroots development, employment and empowerment, as well as security, peace and justice, as some of the key principles that influenced his decision.

Omidiji said young people should have meaningful opportunities to participate in governance, leadership, employment and human-capital development.

He also stressed the need for effective grassroots development, saying local governance and meaningful autonomy were important to ensuring that development reached communities directly.

According to him, Oyo State requires policies capable of expanding employment opportunities, creating jobs and strengthening human capacity across different sectors.

On security, peace and justice, Omidiji said every citizen deserved security, fairness and justice, as well as the opportunity to contribute positively to society.

The youth leader said his meeting with Adedeji further strengthened his interest in returning to the APC.

He said, “My interaction with the incoming APC Deputy Governorship candidate, Hon.Adesoji Adedeji, left a strong impression on me. His accessibility, willingness to listen and emphasis on grassroots concerns strengthened my interest in the direction being presented under the APC platform.”

Reflecting on his experience in the APM, Omidiji said his involvement with the party gave him an opportunity to engage with alternative political ideas.

He, however, said further reflection convinced him that his political journey should reconnect with the APC, where he said he found greater alignment with his longstanding aspirations and principles.

He said, “My engagement with APM provided an opportunity to listen to alternative political ideas. However, after further reflection, I believe my political journey should reconnect with the platform where I see greater alignment with my longstanding aspirations and principles.”

Omidiji said his focus ahead of 2027 would be on supporting constructive political participation and programmes capable of promoting development, accountability, peace and opportunities for the people of Oyo State.

“For me, 2027 is about ideas, inclusion, development and the future of our people. I will continue to advocate for a peaceful and egalitarian Oyo State where youths, women, workers, entrepreneurs and communities can participate meaningfully in development,” he said.

He subsequently declared his renewed commitment to the APC, saying the party remained his political home.

“APC has it all in the pack for a brighter Oyo State. APC is my home again, and again. APC—Progress!” he added.