Sen Adeola Promises Direct LG Funding, Better Pay, Training For Ogun Civil Servants

 

The APC Governorship candidate in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola popularly called “Yayi”, has placed Local Government Autonomy and Civil Service reform at the centre of his proposed administration, promising direct funding for the 20 Local Government Areas and improved welfare, training and remuneration for civil servants.

Adeola made the pledge on Friday, during his visit to the Ogun State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) at Iwe Iroyin, Abeokuta.

The Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriation said effective governance must reach residents at the grassroots, stressing that Government should not be measured only by activities at the State Secretariat but by what citizens experience in their communities.

According to him, his administration would implement Local Government autonomy in line with the 2024 Supreme Court ruling, with allocations going directly to Ogun’s 20 Local Government Areas.

Senator Adeola emphasized that the proposed arrangement would give Councils greater control over resources needed to provide basic services such as roads, health centres and markets.

“Government that cannot be felt where people live is not Government at all,” he said.

He argued that the size and spread of Ogun State make a strong Local Government system necessary for effective service delivery.

Adeola said Ogun’s approximately 7.4 million residents are spread across a large geographical area, making it difficult for residents in some communities to access Government services located far from them.

He therefore promised that his administration, if elected, would ensure that development was felt at the Local Government level.

Adeola also announced a proposed reform of the Ogun State civil service, describing Civil Servants as “the face of Government” to ordinary citizens.

He pledged to invest in training, welfare and remuneration of civil servants while promising to implement the minimum wage in full.

The APC candidate disclosed that his administration would also promote transparency and performance within the public service, noting that Civil Service reform would form one of six institutional “catalysts” supporting his broader nine-point development Agenda.

The proposed reform package also includes fiscal discipline, justice sector reform, legislation reform, asset optimisation and Local Government Autonomy.

Adeola emphasized that the objective was to create an administrative structure capable of turning Government policies into measurable results.

He promised that his proposed administration would introduce performance agreements for Government Agencies and publish regular reports on the progress of its programmes.

“A manifesto that stays on paper is a betrayal of the people who trusted it,” he said, stressing that his proposed policies would be accompanied by measurable targets.

He further pleged to strengthen revenue collection through a Single Window Revenue Collection System designed to integrate PAYE, fees, levies and other revenue streams.

Adeola noted that the system would target a 40 per cent increase in internally generated revenue and a three-to-fivefold increase in land revenue by 2031.

The highpoint of the event was the official decoration of Senator Adeola as the Nigerian Union of Journalists Golden Jubilee Ambassador in commemoration of the Union's 50th Anniversary in the state.