Local government workers across Oyo State have commended Governor Seyi Makinde and the Chairman of the Oyo State Local Government Service Commission (LGSC), Bashorun Akinwale Solomon Akinwole, popularly known as Wolekanle, for what they described as sustained commitment to staff welfare, capacity development and job security within the local government service.
The commendation followed the completion of the Commission’s Staff Auditing and Verification Exercise across the state’s 33 local government areas.
In a statement issued by the Director of Education and Social Services of the Commission, Mrs Funke Foluso Lala, the workers described the leadership of Akinwole at the LGSC as a significant departure from previous approaches to personnel administration, saying his initiatives were consistent with the welfare-driven objectives of the Makinde administration.
They particularly applauded the Commission’s emphasis on training and professional development across various cadres, noting that the programmes had enhanced workers’ capacity and contributed to improved service delivery at the grassroots.
Addressing concerns surrounding the staff audit, Akinwole said the exercise was not a downsizing or retrenchment exercise, but a comprehensive effort to establish accurate personnel records, determine staffing needs and identify vacancies requiring additional manpower.
«“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,” Akinwole said.»
He explained that the exercise was designed around proper records management, manpower planning and strict adherence to due process in the administration of the local government service.
The verification exercise covered the state’s six administrative zones—Oyo, Ogbomoso, Oke-Ogun I, Oke-Ogun II, Ibarapa and Ibadan—with the Commission paying particular attention to the circumstances of physically challenged and ailing members of staff during the process.
According to the Commission, the exercise is expected to strengthen personnel records, ensure appropriate staffing levels and improve efficiency across the local government system.
The Commission said the initiative forms part of broader efforts to build a more accurate, responsive and efficient local government workforce capable of delivering effective services to residents across Oyo State.
The statement was signed by Mrs Funke Foluso Lala, Director of Education and Social Services, Oyo State Local Government Service Commission.
