Politics

Appointments is on Merit, Adeleke Cautions MURIC on Causing Division

By Web News 445

By Funmi Adekoya

The Osun State government has charged Muslim Rights Organisation (MURIC) not to use religion to cause division in the State, affirming that Governor Ademola Adeleke’s appointments of commissioners and permanent secretaries are based on merit and competency.

In a statement, the State government noted that ever since assuming office, Governor Adeleke has premised his governance decisions on competency and commitment to State duty of appointees in his avowed commitment to deliver on good governance and correct inherited ills from previous administration.

The Governor’s first appointees in government were appointed not by religion but merit, competency and conformation with his style of leadership, stressing that same principle of meritocracy which produced the nominated commissioners was applied in the appointments of permanent secretaries who are accounting officers of the ministries.

The statement notes that no agent of destabilization masquerading as a religious body can deploy religion as a partisan tool to divide and distract governance.

The statement added that Osun State is an enlightened society with deep records of religious harmony and close understanding of the Governor as a leader who has never pander to religious bigotry, ethnic partisanship and unmerited decision making.

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Politics

We will continue to protect the interest of all stakeholders – Gov. Makinde

By Web News 418

Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde says his administration has overhauled the security system he met in the state so as to guarantee the interests of all stakeholders.

He said this while speaking during the Hijrah 1444 luncheon held at Government House, Agodi, Ibadan.

Governor Makinde said the government would continue to protect the interest of all stakeholders in the state irrespective of their religious or ethnic affiliations.

He maintained that his administration had not only overhauled the security architecture of the state but it was also doing everything within its capacity to make the state safe and secure for every citizen.

“In Oyo State, we have a Hijab policy. If that policy is going to change, there must be engagement with stakeholders and I am happy to say that we are ready to have that engagement.”

While debunking an allegation by a group called Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, the governor said that his administration had never nursed any plan to return public schools to their owners, noting that those inciting religious bias in the state would fail in as much as he was not going contrary to the mandate given to him by the electorate.

He said: “I am aware that some politicians are trying to misinform our people. I read what MURIC said about us returning schools to missionaries. “We have a Muslim as commissioner and we cannot take such a step without his involvement. “Yes, I also went to Loyola College. They made a request for the return of the school to the Old Students Association and I told them that we are still on the ‘Proof of Consent’. We are developing a template because the government alone does not have the resources to educate our children effectively and that is the fact.

“So, we need to educate our children so that they can be with us in the future to do the needful.”

He declared that the state would always guarantee the rights of all the stakeholders to functional education.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the  Deputy Governor of the state, Chief Bayo Lawal, stated that the present government in the state was open to criticism.

He enjoined stakeholders to always come up with relevant ideas that could move the state forward.

In their various remarks, the chairman of the occasion, Chief Bayo Oyero, Senator Monsurat Sumonu, Okeere of Saki Oba Khalid Olabisi, Alhaji Hammed Raji SAN and Alfa Oloore, commended Governor Seyi Makinde for his open door policy which they said accommodates the interest of Islam.

They, however, charged religious bodies in the state to always channel their grievances through appropriate quarters rather than expressing them on social media.

Iyabo Adebisi

Politics

Oyo Government Clarifies Its Position on Appointments

By Web News 836

Oyo State Government, Engineer Seyi Makinde has declared that there was no sign of lopsidedness in the composition of Governing Councils of State-owned tertiary institutions.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Taiwo Adisa indicates that there was no truth whatsoever in the claims credited to a Muslim leader and Director of the Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, Professor Isiaq Akintola that the appointments came with religious bias against the Muslims.

According to the statement, an analysis of the appointments released by the government of Oyo State on Tuesday indicated that out of a total of 41 appointees named into the Governing Councils of the different state-owned institutions, there were 22 Muslims, while the list had 19 Christians.

The statement says it is illogical for anyone to imagine that in a state like Oyo, a government would play up religious differences and make nominations into critical institutions without sound judgment.

It notes that the list of appointees show that for Ibarapa Polytechnic, out of the six appointees, there were three Muslims and three Christians and same for Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo.

It also explains that Oke-Ogun Polytechnic which had three Muslims and Christians apiece while College of Education, Lanlate had three Christians and two Muslims.

“There were three Christians as against seven Muslims on the board of the College of Agriculture, Igbo-Ora, while the Polytechnic Ibadan had four Muslims and four Christians on its board.” 

“We need to state it clearly that religious leaders must get their facts correct before coming into the open to make statements.”

The statement advises purveyors of such unhelpful fiction to focus on other agenda that can assist the developmental agenda of the state.

Iyabo Adebisi