A Civil Society Group,Social Political Advocacy for Good Governance (SPAGG)on Monday presented Gold Service award to the caretaker chairman of Akinyele South LCDA, Hon Kazeem Adekunle Ahmed for his unequal achievements in Akinyele since his appointment by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.
In his welcome address, the Head of Research Department of the NGO, Comrade Bashorun Adeniji said SPAGG is a Non-Governmental Organisation has a mandate to x-ray the performances of all the 68 caretaker chairmen and to present awards to those who merit the awards.
Bashorun stressed that the group’s aim is borne out of the political will to ensure that people at the grassroots enjoy the dividends of good governance where they are not being short changed.
While presenting the award to Hon Kazeem Adekunle at Akinyele South LCDA secretariat, Igbooloyin, the director of the NGO, Comrade Oluyinka Tella said the NGO was set out to make people at the grassroots to feel the importance of governance. His words:
“How will the people at the grassroots feel the importance of good governance?By monitoring the effects of Local Government System. This is the system that is the closest to the populace. We believe that whatever happens at the LG touches everybody.”
“So we sat down, there were supposed to be a matrix for measuring the performances of LG bosses. We started monitoring, we have our own key performance index, they are seven pillars, we measured each LG and LCDA based on the seven pillars which are
Security, Education, Infrastructure, Youths Engagement, Healthcare, Agribusiness and Community welfare.”
“While some LG chairmen got low impacts, not really low in the real sense,but it is a feedback or mechanism for them to do more. Some are in green, they are doing well, some are in yellow while some are in red.”
“We set a standard that any caretaker chairman that fails to score above 70% will not be recognised for the award. But fortunately, Akinyele South LCDA scored 71.4, making the council the 9th best performing council on our list.”
Speaking further, Tella said, “we believe in team work, we know that if there is no cordial relationship between the chairman and his team, they wouldn’t have been able to achieve the great feat in the council. To us, it is a feedback for a good performance. We believe that the reward for hard work is more work. In the next three months or there about, we will release another index. There is a special recognition for any chairman that will be in the green position for three consecutive time. The result we have today centred around your activities from January to September.
In his remark, the caretaker chairman, Hon Kazeem Adekunle Ahmed, commended the initiative of the group to have found him worthy to be recognised and awarded as one of the most performing out of the 68 chairmen in the state. His words:
“I really appreciate the leadership of this group. You have done well, this award is a challenge for us to do more for our people.”
“We are not here for our selfish reasons but to represent the interest of our people and we are encouraged to do more. I promise you that by December, we will improve on our rating from 9 to at least number 2.”
“We want to serve our people, we always relate with them to know where the shoe pinches. We are emulating the governing style adopted by Governor Seyi Makinde by knowing what the people want and we ensure we do it for them. I will continue to improve and do my best for our people. He assured the group that he would focus more on the education sector.”
The key areas where the chairmen were assessed include: Health care, Education, Security, Infrastructure, Agribusiness, Youths Engagement among others.
Members of the Social Political Advocacy for Good Governance (SPAGG) are:Yinka Tella, Oba Stephen Adegboyega, Deji Ola, Kareem Wale, Adelowo Michael Coded,
Bashorun Adeniji, Moyosore Eedris, Tolu Toki, Tunrayo Sanni, Damilola Adisa, Blessing Anthony, Olabisi Olabaz among others.
Other dignitaries who attended the ceremony include the PDP Financial Secretary in Oyo State, Council Secretary, Head of Local Government, Administration, Director of Administration and Supply, PDP chairman in Akinyele, among others.
