Oyo State Governor, Engr ‘Seyi Makinde has announced plans to separate the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism in order to optimize the functioning of all ministries.
In a newsletter released on Thursday night, Governor Makinde stated that the decoupling of the ministries will allow for better oversight and value extraction from the Tourism Board.
He believes that the benefits of this adjustment outweigh the costs and will ultimately benefit the state.
“We will be decoupling the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism. So, we will have the Ministry of Information headed by one commissioner, while another will head the Ministry of Culture and Tourism,” Governor Makinde said.
The decision to separate the ministries will result in an increase in the number of commissioners from seventeen to eighteen under the Omituntun 2.0 administration. While some may argue that reducing the number of ministries would be more cost-effective, Governor Makinde believes that the adjustments will lead to improved governance and economic growth for Oyo State.
“The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism will be better able to oversee the Tourism Board and extract the value trapped in that agency, while the Commissioner for Information will focus on communicating the activities of government to the people through the various channels we have made available,” Governor Makinde explained.
Governor Makinde also mentioned that the next few weeks will be exciting for governance in Oyo State, as commissioners, executive advisers, assistants, and special advisers are expected to be sworn in and appointed. He urged the people to continue praying for the state and the country during these challenging times, expressing his belief that with a Nigerian can-do spirit and trust in God, they will overcome.
