By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan.
Oyo state government is to commence immediate interface between top government officials and relevant stakeholders in the state on “economy, security and social infrastructure”.
Secretary to the State Government, (SSG) Alhaji Olalekan Alli who dropped this hint in a statement made available to newsmen in Ibadan on Sunday, said the interface is to update the people of the state on the state of the nation.
The SSG declared that in line with the new policy, Governor, Abiola Ajimobi is to start holding a town hall meeting with the people of Oyo state on a quarterly basis.
“The Oyo State Executive Council has directed an immediate interface between top government officials and relevant stakeholders to keep them abreast of the state of the nation as it concerns the uncertainties in the economy, security and social infrastructure,” he said.
Emphasizing that the new policy will be in the spirit of good and participatory governance, he said that the new policy direction would be a regular dialogue geared towards conveying government’s plans, policies, efforts, and actions taken to surmount the various challenges posed by the state of the nation.
“As a matter of policy there will be public engagements with a focus on issues such as security of lives and property; social and infrastructural services, such as health, water supply, roads, energy, education and the environment. The discourse will also centre on the economy/finance, including internally generated revenue, salaries and pensions, as well as the welfare of the citizenry, including workers”.
He added that “all heads of ministries, departments and agencies, including commissioners and permanent secretaries shall formally hold a briefing and interactive session with their respective members of staff once in a month”.
The SSG in the statement stressed that “all local government chairmen and heads of local government administration are advised to formally hold a briefing and interactive session with their respective members of staff once in a month” adding, “they should also engage the citizenry in a town hall meeting once a quarter.”
Alhaj Alli maintained that the new measures would bring the people closer to the government and would serve as a veritable platform to obtain firsthand feedbacks to smoothen the relationship between the government and the governed.
According to him, “such regular conversation with the people would keep them abreast of government’s policies, plans, programmes and activities and forestall misinformation, misunderstanding and mischief capable of heating up the polity”.
The SSG however urged stakeholders in the state to take advantage of the highlighted public engagement process by making meaningful contributions that would assist the government to undertake life-enhancing programmes for the citizenry.
