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The governorship candidate of African Action Congress(AAC) in Oyo State in the last election, Engr. Akinwale Laosun, on Sunday warned Governor Seyi Makinde to do all within his power to ensure that the state does not slip back into the years of killings, brigandage and destruction of property.
He stated this at a press conference held at Praise Foundation Office, Jericho, Ibadan.
Laosun 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.
Laosun, spoke on the heels of the recent reported cases of violence and leadership clashes by some members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW) in the state that led to the proscription of the union’s activities.
The former governorship aspirant said there is still much to be done in order for the people to be able to sleep with their two eyes closed.
He said: “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.”
Laosun said he and his party would not play politics of mudslinging, bitterness, witch hunting, acrimony and unhealthy rivalry but will be ready to provide support to the government in any area it might be needed in the interest of the state, adding that such support will only be granted on the readiness and the political will of the governor to remain focused 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, he said the governor should explore the many untapped avenues to financially re-engineer the state.
“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), other 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 issues 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,” Laosun said.