The Executive Bill creating the Oyo State Mobilization Agency for Socio-Economic Development (OYMASED) has been signed into law by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State. Makinde has stated that his administration will continue to prioritize economic development in order to address significant difficulties facing the state.
At the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, Governor Makinde signed the bill approved by the House of Assembly into law. He also announced the appointment of Dr. Morohunkola Thomas, a former state commissioner for education, as the agency’s director general. Thomas serves as the governor’s special adviser on socioeconomic development. Makinde claims that the agency’s creation is consistent with his position that the administration will be recognized for the robust institutions it has established in addition to the vast infrastructure it has constructed.
“We are here today to sign the Oyo State Mobilization Agency for Socio-Economic Development Bill (2004), one of the most significant laws that will shape the future of this administration and our dear state,” he stated. “We have designed OYMASED in response to the visionary role played by Prof. Jerry Ghana as Director of the Mass Mobilization for Self Reliance, Social Justice, and Economic Recovery (MAMSER).” Thank you so much, sir.
“I also want to express my gratitude to the Assembly members for their prompt passage of this bill and their ongoing cooperation with this administration in providing the people with good governance. “We now have an organization in OYMASED that will elucidate ethereal concepts in our state’s economic policies and instruct our citizens on the legal and political systems.” “Several important government MDAs will use this agency that we are establishing today as a focal point.”
“As a nation, we have to prioritize production, and we cannot be productive without organizing our people behind our goals,” the governor continued. We know we are addressing the problem of bringing our people out of poverty and into wealth when we expand our base of productive labor.
“There is hunger in the country, which is not representative of where we ought to be as a people. Therefore, we need to establish a framework for advocacy, sensitization, and mobilization in order to fully realize our potential. Thus, this agency plays a crucial role in the framework. Additionally, ongoing education is required when economic development is given priority. If you do not make it obvious where you are heading them, you will never be able to gain their trust.
“OYMASED will be crucial to the ongoing mobilization and sensitization of Oyo State’s diverse populations in support of the advancement of social, economic, political, and environmental development.” During the launching of the OYMASED Office, Makinde also spoke there and reaffirmed his belief that the state needs strong institutions to survive. He said Nigeria should take a cue from Oyo State and establish strong institutions to deal with its problems.
“I will keep saying that this administration will not be defined by infrastructure, road construction, and all of those things,” he stated. No, but through the organizations we are setting up. “What we’re attempting to establish here is strong institutions; Oyo State doesn’t need strong men. Nigeria would need to learn from Oyo State in terms of seeking out the best individuals to help build the state wherever possible.
Professor Jerry Gana, the former minister of information and national orientation, had earlier in his speech praised the governor for his enormous accomplishments and for starting OYMASED, which he considered to be a commendable idea. According to Professor Gana, the agency will mobilize and involve the people in government, since they are the primary stakeholders, bringing about growth and transformation to the state more quickly and effectively.
The governor was thanked for his unwavering passion for the state’s development by Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin, who also stated that the bill embodies a collective aspiration to lay the foundation of a robust framework that would drive the communities. Dr. Thomas, the newly appointed agency’s director general, also gave assurances that the goals behind the creation of OYMASED would be met and that the Makinde government will leave a lasting legacy for succeeding administrations.
