Segun Akanni, Toronto, Canada 
The Oyo State governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde Inaugurates State Advisory Council as part of its efforts aimed at enhancing effective governance in the state.
Governor Seyi Makinde, in his address yesterday 21st June said the establishment of the council was aimed at ensuring that the government tap from the wealth of experience of elders and opinion moulders in the state and not politically motivated at anytime.
“This is a new government, I believe we have taken the right step in the right direction. The council, I believe would be able to focus on specific programmes in order to advise or support the government in her policies and bring up new initiatives for this administration.”
“I want to charge members of the council to be up and doing. They should see the task before them as that which must be effectively executed. Oyo State is known as the pacesetter state, hence we must return the state to her days of glory,” Makinde said
In his acceptance speech, the chairman of the newly inaugurated advisory council board and former deputy Senate Chief Whip, Sen. Hosea Agboola assured the governor that members of the council would discharge their responsibilities with diligence as expected of them and would equally advise the governor with the fear of God in the interest of people of the state.
The ceremony was attended by dignitaries, including the deputy governor, Rauf Olaniyan; Deputy Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Abiodun Fadeyi, who represented the Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin; Justice Moshood Abass from the state high court; Chief of Staff to the governor, Bisi Ilaka; and Head of Service, Mrs. Ololade Agboola
Members of the council, who also witnessed the inauguration include former chairperson, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu; former Majority Leader, House of Representatives, Mulikat Adeola-Akande; a legal luminary, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN); former Head of Service in the state, Prince Samson Laoye; a chieftain of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Jacob Adetoro; former member of House of Representatives, Kamil Akinlabi; and Prof Kolapo Hamzat.
But three other members of the committee, including former secretary to the state government, Sarafadeen Alli, and Mr. Joseph Olaitan, were not in attendance. Alli was said to have rejected being member of the advisory council.
Reported by Abimbola Emmanuel, Ibadan
