The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Wednesday forwarded the Oyo State Anti-Corruption bill, 2019 to the state House of Assembly for legislative action.
The governor said his decision to set up an anti-graft body is in fulfilment of his campaign promise.
According to a statement by his chief press secretary, Taiwo Adisa, the governor presented a copy of the draft bill to his Special Adviser, Legislative Matters, Samuel Adejumobi, for onward transmission to the State House of Assembly.
Mr Makinde said he is determined to waive his immunity to appear before the anti-corruption agency, if he is found wanting in any way.
The governor also charged permanent secretaries in the state to be accountable, as the purse-keepers of Oyo State.
According to the statement, Mr Makinde warned those who would want to politicise his move to set up the agency to think twice because, according to him, corruption knows no political party.
He said corruption does not edify a state but promotes stagnation, “and we want Oyo State to be out of stagnation.”
See his text below:
“We are here to sign for transmission to the legislature, the executive bill for anti-corruption in Oyo State. We are transmitting the bill today in fulfillment of a promise that I made during the campaign that during my watch in Oyo State, it will be zero tolerance for corruption in Oyo State.
“While I was making my inaugural address, I also put a rider on it that as the Governor of Oyo State, I am ready to wave my immunity to appear before the agency if I am found wanting in the course of my duty to the people of Oyo State.
“The Permanent Secretaries are here. You are the purse keepers for the ministries and the ones responsible for all the spending. Of course, the commissioners would soon be here but they are not the ones to account for the spending in your various ministries. Of course, they will give instructions and try to help me run the affairs of government to the extent of our promises to the people and also the agenda of our government.
“But, we will hold each and every one of you accountable for the ministries that are being administered by you and I also want to be held accountable by anyone here. I am working from the standpoint here that nothing, absolutely nothing is hidden, in this whole case.
“If people think they have hidden anything, it is the only thing that they can start and finish by themselves only and I don’t think there is anything like that in this place.
“For whatever that has to be done, there will be one, two or three participants. So, I can’t even start the process and finish it by myself alone. So, there must be accomplices and people who are ready to support me to do something that is not edifying, so if I think such things are hidden, I will be deceiving myself and it is the same for everybody.
“I know people may also try to put political coloration to this, corruption doesn’t know a political party and what corruption does is to stagnate our development and we want Oyo State to be out of that stagnation. We want Oyo State, just like we have always been, a Pacesetter state.
“So, I will solicit for your cooperation and nobody has anything to fear. If you do what you are supposed to do, nobody will witch hunt anybody. I also want to say, if you see something, please, by all means, say something and we will deal with the situation.”
