Gov Makinde swears in new 48 Permanent Secretaries

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has inaugurated 48 newly appointed Permanent Secretaries in the state Civil/Public Service, urging them to deliver effective service and contribute to the sustainable development of the state.

The swearing-in ceremony took place on Monday at the Executive Council Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan. The oaths of office and allegiance were administered to the appointees during the historic event.

Governor Makinde highlighted that the selection process was transparent and merit-based, free from external interference. He emphasized that the appointments, particularly in the education and local government sectors, were designed to motivate diligent workers and strengthen institutional frameworks within these critical sectors.

He congratulated the new Permanent Secretaries and expressed gratitude to the Head of Service, Mrs. Olubunmi Oni, for overseeing the appointment process with diligence and professionalism.

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Governor Makinde said: “History is being made today because appointing 48 Permanent Secretaries is no joke; these are vacancies that have to be filled. We didn’t play politics with it. We did not create those positions, as they have been in existence. It’s just that over time, we have had mostly Coordinating Directors, but now, we have appointed Permanent Secretaries.

“If you remember, when this administration came in, what we found on the ground was a situation where the appointment of Permanent Secretaries was discretionary. But we started a new culture when we arrived. We had an exam and we were picking from the list.

“Let me use this opportunity to thank the Head of Service for managing this situation diligently. She deserves all the accolades. You will notice that in the education sector, we took time to appoint Inspectors-General and Tutors-General.

“Our future is about how we can educate our children because they are the future. So, if you have people who are contributing to building our future, how do you encourage them? That is why we opened up that space to institutionalise the process whereby teachers and those in the education sector can also be compensated.

“The same applies to those in the local government sector. At the local government level, we felt that people are working tirelessly because it’s the closest government to the people. But every time I look through the records, I see that it is always a token for the LG. We are trying to redress that so that we can encourage the people working at that level to reach the peak of their careers as well.

“When you work hard, the reward is more work. So, I want to say to you that this is just the beginning. You have to do your best to justify the appointment. Also, you need to remember that you swore an oath to be fair to everybody. So, don’t forget the oath when you are making decisions and writing memos. Please do your best for our state.”

The 48 new Permanent Secretaries include three Permanent Secretaries appointed earlier and 15 newly appointed Permanent Secretaries from the mainstream; 15 from the education sector comprising Inspectors-General of Education and Tutors-General; and six from the health sector.

Others are seven from the local government sector; the Permanent Secretary/Clerk of the House and the Surveyor-General of the state.