The Oyo state gubernatorial candidate of the Action African Congress (AAC) in the last election, Engr. Akinwale Laosun on Friday warned the newly inaugurated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government of Governor Seyi Makinde to do all within its power to ensure that the state does not slip back into the years of wanton killings, brigandage and destruction of property.
He noted that allowing the state to return back to its days of violence, crime and criminalities will be the greatest betrayal of trust on the part of the government to the people.
Engr. Laosun gave the warning while reacting to the reported violent and leadership clashes that led to the proscription of the activities of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state, during a press conference which held at his Gate of Praise Foundation Office, Jericho, Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
The AAC guber nominee lauded the immediate past administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi for improving the security architecture to a certain level, noting that much still needs to be done for the people to be able to sleep with their two eyes closed.
The Gate of Praise Foundation founder charged the new administration to ensure that all its campaign promises move from the realms of mere talks to reality, stressing that the charge became imperative as a stakeholder desirous of a better Oyo state.
“We dare say that, allowing the state to slip back into the years of wanton killings, brigandage, destructions of property, violence, crimes and criminalities will be the greatest betrayal of trust on the part of the government to the people.
“We hereby call on the newly inaugurated administration to do all within its powers to ensure that all loopholes are blocked in ensuring that the people of the state can sleep with their two eyes closed. It should go beyond political promises. Despite the boasting and efforts of the immediate past administration, many lives and properties were lost in ‘unnecessary and unimaginable’ situations.
“The huge security votes for the State must be judiciously spent on securing the state and its people, which remains the original purpose and not servicing the political machinery of the government”, he added.
The governorship candidate, who was flanked by members of his AOL Support Group Organisation assures the people that he as well as his party will not play politics of mudslinging, bitterness, witch hunting, acrimony and unhealthy rival but will be ready to provide support to the government, in any area, such might be needed in the interest of the people, adding that such support will only be granted on the readiness and the political will of the governor to remain focus on fulfilling his campaign promises.
“For us in Akinwale Omololu Laosun (AOL) Support Group Organisation, politics of mudslinging, bitterness, witch hunting, acrimony and unhealthy rival is a taboo and we will never be part of it.
“Let me use this medium to announce to the newly sworn-in PDP government that I and my party will not fail to live up to our role as an opposition party in the state. This, we will do to check and checkmate the government regularly in the areas of her policies, actions, inactions, attitude and efforts in the interest of the people for better service delivery and more importantly, as a stakeholder desirous of a better Oyo State”, he said
Speaking on the issue of payment of the new minimum wage, Laosun said, “We charge the PDP government of Engr Seyi Makinde to explore the many untapped avenues to financially re-engineer the state so as to ensure that Oyo State does not lag behind in the payment of the N30,000 minimum wage.
“Beyond payment of salaries (we know it is not a favour or any form of kindness or a benefit to the workers), others ways the lives of the Oyo state workers can be improved are obvious for all to see. We hope the new Governor will deploy his acclaimed years of experience in running the private sector to use in this wise.
“Please note that we will not fail to lend our voice to issue(s) should the government fail to keep its promises to the workers, or introduce policies that might not be in the overall interest of the people and the state as a whole. Salary arrears and backlogs of payment to tertiary institution workers, Local Government workers, pensioners and retirees amongst others must get the immediate attention of the new government so that a new lease of life can blow across the state.”
