Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State is excited over his recent recognition as the Most Outstanding Governor in 2024 by the Labour Writers Association of Nigeria.
He won the award on account of his exceptional performance and unwavering dedication to poverty alleviation and empowerment as well as citizens welfare and others.
Makinde’s Chief Press Secretary,Pastor Suleiman Olarenwaju, received the award on behalf of his boss,at the 2025 Workshop and Award Ceremony of the Labour Writers Association of Nigeria (LAWAN), held in Ibadan,Oyo State recently.
He said the award was befitting and timely for his boss,whose exceptional leadership has improved governance and added value to the lives of workers in Oyo State.
He said Makinde’s uncommon thirst for service has endeared him to people across political and ethnic divides.
He also said:”No governor in the history of Oyo State holds a candle to Makinde with respect to job creation.”
In his first term,Makinde employed 5,000 secondary school teachers, he said, adding that the governor has currently employed over 20,000 people in the state.
According to him, in July 2024, the government recruited 500 officers and men into the Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA).
No fewer than 561 Amotekun operatives were later recruited.
He disclosed that the government, through the Oyo State* *Universal Basic Education Board, employed 5,600 primary school teachers* *and 80 caregivers to boost the personnel requirement of primary schools in the state.
The governor also approved the recruitment of 7,500 teachers as well as 3,000 non-teaching staff for secondary schools in the state, he said.
He added:” The government also recruited 3,933 workers for the state’s Primary* Healthcare Centres (PHCs). In addition to the PHC workers, the state government has also* *employed 12 consultants, 28 doctors, eight pharmacists, six physiotherapists, 170 *nurses, three pharmacist technicians, eight medical laboratory scientists and 80 other health workers.
The state,he said, also hired 791 people to fill the vacant positions in the mainstream civil service,adding that the governor similarly approved the conversion of 1591 local government ad-hoc staff to permanent staff.
He stated:”Similarly, the governor recently instructed the management of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, to absorb 67 security guards, who had been seconded to the institution by a private company, as ad-hoc staff.”
Lauding the labour writers for bestowing the award on his boss, Olarenwaju said the state government would continue to partner them in its drive for excellence leadership and value addition in the state.
He described the theme of the workshop as relevant and worthwhile on the strength of the growing import of Artificial Intelligence in the global workplace.
He implored the members of the association to make efficient use of AI with a view to achieving maximum productivity in their profession.
The Chairman of LAWAN,Comrade Toba Agboola, commended the governor for accepting the association’s award and honour,adding that the gesture signifies Makinde’s humility,humanness and open door policy to deepen governance in the state.
He said his association has been watching with keen interest the governor’s excellent performance in the last six years,adding that LAWAN deemed it fit to honour him as part of the social responsibility of journalism to encourage him to do more for the citizens.
He promised that LAWAN would sustain the partnership with the state government to drive governance to appreciable heights in the state.
He said the association’s discourse on Artificial Intelligence,was purposeful and deliberate to keep participants abreast of the new challenges with a view to providing them with mechanism to cope and survive in their workplaces.