….
As He is Invested as Oyo NUJ Grand Patron
Hours after the Supreme Court’s judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments, Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, called on states to focus on activities that boost internally generated revenues.
Governor Makinde made this statement on Thursday while receiving national executive members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), led by its President, Chief (Dr.) Chris Iziguzo, at his office in the secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
During this event, Governor Makinde was invested as the Grand Patron of the NUJ Oyo State Council, in recognition of his significant support to the union over the years. He emphasized that Nigeria, a country blessed with arable land and good weather, should not be importing food.
“It’s a big shame for this country that we cannot feed ourselves. We should return to activities that restore confidence in our people and ensure the country is on the path of growth and economic progress,” he stated.
Regarding the Supreme Court judgment, Governor Makinde noted, “It has nothing to do with us in Oyo State because since my tenure began, we’ve conducted local government elections twice. We planned and allowed for the election process to go smoothly without any caretaker. So, it’s not a big problem for us.”
The governor lamented the inability of many local government areas to generate revenue beyond federal allocations and stressed the need to focus on increasing productivity.
“Our issue is that we’re not producing enough. Whatever is shared in Abuja through FAAC, we want value for it, but our real problem is productivity,” he added.
Governor Makinde also urged Nigerian journalists to prioritize national and corporate interests over personal and parochial ones in their duties.
“Whatever anyone aspires to become is only possible when we have a country. All of us, including journalists, must be guided by the overriding interests of developing our state and country. Journalists should practice development journalism that serves the interests of the majority,” he said.
Expressing gratitude for the honor, Governor Makinde said it would help him reconnect with journalists.
In his remarks, NUJ President Dr. Iziguzo commended Governor Makinde’s people-oriented projects across various sectors, which have positively impacted the state’s internally generated revenue.
The recognition as grand patron, he noted, was to appreciate the governor as a leader positively impacting people’s lives. He highlighted the governor’s achievements in health, education, security, road infrastructure, and urban development.
Dr. Iziguzo urged journalists to embrace development journalism, focusing on solutions rather than overemphasizing the nation’s challenges, noting that other countries also have challenges but attract investments through positive image projection.
The event was attended by Chief of Staff Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi, Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation Prince Dotun Oyelade, and members of the NUJ executive council.