Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has called on residents across the state to hold their respective local government chairmen accountable if the approved 30-kilometre road grading projects have not been completed in their areas.
The Governor stated this yesterday during a state of the state address at a special plenary sitting to Commemorate the second year anniversary of the Oyo 10th Oyo Assembly.
The Governor also called on the state legislature to conduct oversight function on the 33 Local Government Areas of the state over a 30 kilometers internal roads awarded to each council.
The governors remark follows several agitations by lawmakers in their seperate submissions during the special plenary sitting on the state of inner roads across various local government areas.
Makinde urged the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters to expedite action on conducting its statutory oversight duty on all the local government areas with regards to the inner road grading.
Emphasizing his stance, Makinde told the Chairman of the House Committee, Honorable Akintunde Olajide representing Lagelu state constituency, to follow proceed with its oversight duties to all the 33 LGs.
“Concerning the internal roads across the local government areas in the state, I consulted the commissioner for local government and Chieftaincy Matters and asked the authority to incur expenditure for them to grade 30 kilometers of road across the local government areas in the state.
“So if they have not done 30 kilometers of road in your own local government, atleast you have oversight from the house, I employ the house to do an oversight function the project- Hon AKT, it’s your job not in my hand again”,- the statement reads.
Also present at the special plenary sitting was the Chairman, Association of Local Government of Oyo State (ALGOS) and Chairman, Egbeda local government, Hon. Sikiru Sanda.
The governor explained that the road grading project was initiated to ensure improved access to farms, markets, and essential services, especially in rural communities.
Governor Makinde urged residents to continue to be active participants in governance by demanding transparency and accountability at the grassroots level, noting that democracy only works when people take ownership of government actions in their communities.