The newly inaugurated Governor of Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde has promised to scrap the N3,000 being paid by pupils of all public primary and secondary schools in the state and also promised to donate his salary to pensioners.
He admitted that the greatest challenge confronting Oyo was issue of poverty which he pledged to tackle with a drastic leap in agriculture, just as he promised to look into the issue of over 400,00 out-of โschool-children in the state.
Makinde stated this in his eight-page inaugural speech shortly after he and his deputy Rauf Olaniyan took the oath of office.ย He added that the state was capable of paying the N30,000 minimum wage but was quick to add that, โI believe in true Federalism.
โI believe the states should decide the minimum wage of their workforce based on individual realities. All states are not created equal, so it is against the principle of fairness to apply a blanket rule to govern them all,โ he said.
Makinde, flanked by his wife, Omini, and their children, took the oath of office at 12.17 pm, while Olaniyan took his earlier at 11.57 a.m.
The swearing-in ceremony was held at Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke-Ado in Ibadan.
The Chief Judge of the state, Munta Abimbola, administered the oaths.
At the ceremony were former governors of Ekiti, Ayodele Fayose; Osun, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Oyo, Adebayo Alao-Akala.
Others are the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; Ayo Adebanjo; Biodun Olujimi; and Hosea Agboola.
The list also includes Bolaji Ayorinde, Jumoke Akinjide, and Micheal Koleoso among others.
After his swearing in, Makinde inspected a guard of honour mounted by police personnel.
Makinde won the March 9 gubernatorial election in the state on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
