Oyo State local government workers have commended Governor Seyi Makinde and the Chairman of the Oyo State Local Government Service Commission, Bashorun Akinwale Solomon Akinwole, over what they described as improved staff welfare, training opportunities and assurances of job security.
The commendation followed the conclusion of the commission’s Staff Audit and Verification Exercise across the state’s 33 local government areas, according to a statement issued by the Director of Education and Social Services, Mrs Funke Foluso Lala.
The exercise, which began earlier in September, was designed to authenticate personnel records, improve documentation and strengthen efficiency within the local government service.
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Akinwole, popularly known as Wolekanle, said the exercise was not designed to witch-hunt workers or reduce the workforce.
“This mandate is hinged on proper records management and due process in our local government. I want to reiterate that we are not downsizing, we are not witch-hunting, and we are not retrenching. Rather, we want to employ more hands to fill the vacancies that we have noticed,” he said.
The exercise covered the Oyo, Ogbomoso, Oke-Ogun I, Oke-Ogun II, Ibarapa and Ibadan zones.
At the commencement of the exercise, workers from Oyo West and Afijio local governments converged at Ojongbodu, while personnel from Atiba and Oyo East participated at Offa Meta in Atiba. In the Ogbomoso zone, staff from Ogo-Oluwa, Surulere and Ogbomoso South gathered at Arowomole.
The commission also said special attention was given to workers living with physical disabilities and those who were ill during the verification exercise.
The workers praised Akinwole for what they described as a change in the management of the local government service, particularly in the areas of welfare and staff development.
They also highlighted increased training opportunities across different cadres, saying improved capacity-building had contributed to better service delivery.
The latest exercise comes against the backdrop of other personnel-focused initiatives by the commission under the Makinde administration.
In August, the commission announced the release of 1,535 promotion letters to local government workers across the state. The letters covered officers on Grade Levels 06 to 17 in the commission and the seven departments operating across the 33 local governments.
The beneficiaries cut across administration and general services, agriculture and natural resources, budget planning, education and social services, environmental health, finance and supplies, as well as works, housing, lands and survey.
The commission has also previously linked its staff verification activities to efforts to establish accurate personnel records, assess compliance with service rules and improve efficiency within the local government system.
Labour representatives participated in the latest exercise alongside officials of the commission, reflecting the involvement of workers’ representatives in the process.
Akinwole’s assurance that identified vacancies could lead to additional recruitment rather than downsizing has also provided a key message for workers following the exercise.
For the local government workforce, the development places renewed focus on employment security, professional development and accurate personnel records as the commission continues its efforts to strengthen administration across Oyo State.
