By G9ija
In fulfillment of an electioneering campaign promise, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Wednesday signed and transmitted the Executive bill on the establishment of Oyo State Anti-Corruption Agency to the state House of Assembly.
At a brief signing ceremony at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office and witnessed by top government functionaries, Makinde said he was sending the executive bill to the lawmakers, haven promised the people of the state that there would be zero tolerance to corruption under his watch as the state governor.
Makinde, while appealing to the people not to attach any political colouration to the move, noted that corruption does not know any party but had succeeded in retarding the state.
He warned the Permanent Secretaries at the event, just like others serving in various position to be ready to give an account of what is put in their trust should the need be, as soon as the law gets legislative backing.
The governor said: “We are here to sign for transmission to the legislature, the executive bill for anti-corruption in Oyo state. We are transmitting the bill today in fulfillment of a promise that I made during the campaign that during my watch in Oyo state, it will be zero tolerance for corruption in Oyo state.
“While I was making my inaugural address, I also put a rider on it that as the Governor of Oyo state, I am ready to wave my immunity to appear before the agency if I am found wanting in the course of my duty to the people of Oyo state.
“The Permanent Secretaries are here, you are the purse keeper for the ministries and the ones responsible for all the spending of course the commissioners would soon be here but they are not the ones to account for the spending in your various ministries.
“Of course, they will give instructions and try to help me run the affairs of government to the extent of our promises to the people and also the agenda of our government.
“But we will hold each and every one of you accountable for the ministries that are been administered by you and I also want to be held accountable by anyone here.
“I am working from the standpoint here that nothing, absolutely nothing is hidden in this whole case.
“If people think they have hidden anything, it is the only thing that they can start and finish by themselves only and I don’t think there is anything like that in this place.
“For whatever that has to be done, there will be one, two or three participants. So, I can’t even start the process and finish it by myself alone.
“So, there must be accomplices and people who are ready to support me to do something that is not edifying, so if I think such things are hidden, I will be deceiving myself and it is the same for everybody.
“I know people may also try to put political colouration to this, corruption doesn’t know a political party and what corruption does is to stagnate our development and we want Oyo state to be out of that stagnation. We want Oyo state, just like we have always been a Pacesetter state.
“So, I will solicit for your cooperation and nobody has anything to fear. If you do what you are supposed to do, nobody will witch hunt anybody. I also want to say, if you see something, please, by all means, say something and we will deal with the situation.”
The bill was thereafter presented by the Governor to his Special Adviser on Legislative Matter, Mr. Samuel Adejumo for onward transmission to the House of Assembly