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Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde, on Friday, flagged off the construction of ultramodern office complex for Local Government Service Commission and Local Government Staff Pension Board, saying critics of the construction will shut up permanently in 11 months time when the building is commissioned.
The state government had been criticised for mandating each local government area to commit part of their allocation towards the project.
Makinde explained that the local government chairpersons bought into the ultramodern building idea and allowed the deduction of LG funds such that about 85 per cent of funds for the project was already available.
“In about 11 months, we will be coming back here to commission this edifice. I will like to use this opportunity to thank the chairpersons of local government areas and local council development areas because everybody bought into the vision and with that your singular action, we were able to raise the substantial amount that is needed for the construction of this structure.
“Where I came from, we played a bit of office politics and with governance, everything is politics. When we came up with this idea, some people came out to say we were taking money from the local government, those people will shut up permanently in another 11 months,” he said.
While assuring that the ultramodern complex would be completed within a year, the governor said he had earlier approved N15 million for each ministry to completely refurbish their offices and complexes.
In his remarks, chairman of the State Local Government Service Commission/Local Government Staff Pension Board, Aderemi Ayodele, assuranced that the complex will be one of the projects to be commissioned during the second year anniversary of the current administration.
Speaking on behalf of chairpersons of local government areas, the chairman of Ibadan South East local government, Emmanuel Alawode said it took the ingenuity of the state governor to start the secretariat amid COVID-19 and its attendant hard times.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state, Bayo Titilola-Sodo, said it was long overdue for the state to have Local Government Service Commission and Pension Board building.
He stated that the resolution of the current administration to construct the secretariat was a good one, adding that it will ensure smooth operation.