Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has inaugurated park managers in 33 local governments across the state.
Also inaugurated on Monday are the two disciplinary committees which are to intervene whenever conflicts arise between the Oyo State Government and park managers on the operations of the parks.
Oyo State Commissioner for Public Works, Infrastructure and Transport, Prof. Raphael Afonja, who conducted the inauguration at the conference hall of the ministry, said the new Park Management System (PMS) would bring sanity in the management of motor parks in the state.
Afonja said the park managers would be coordinated by a consultant to ensure compliance with the terms of reference.
He stated that the new PMS would aid the efforts of the state government to double the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) inherited from the previous administration.
He said: “This instruction was given by His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde. It is a new PMS that we are implementing. We are trying this to make sure we bring in a better structure into our motor parks and garages.
“Soon, other things like infrastructure will fall in place. So, for the main time, these people have been assigned to take charge of the parks on behalf of the state government.”
Afonja added that the new PMS architecture has no links with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), as according to him, the managers were engaged by the government to ensure that financial leakages are blocked and that “there is increase in the internal revenue of the state.”
He stated: “This is not a union matter at all, as the PMs are basically employed by the state government. One of the things the governor is doing is to ensure that leakages are blocked and that there is an increase in the revenue of the state. So, that is why we have this management system in place; to coordinate on behalf of the government.
“Another reason that the governor is doing this is to avoid violence among the unionists because our people feel insecure whenever issues of NURTW come up in the state.
“If there is anyone who, in some way, wants to threaten the peace of the state, such a person will face the wrath of the law. Governor Makinde is the number one citizen of this state and he has all rights to do what is good for the people of the state.
“We are asking the PMs and the committees to make sure that there is no traffic congestion in our state. They should coordinate Parks and make sure that the revenues, which the state is entitled to, get into the state coffers. These are the things this government is concerned about.”
Members of the motor park disciplinary committee include Mukaila Lamidi as chairman; Jimoh Tajudeen as vice-chairman and Wasiu Omolewa as secretary.
The commissioner also named Wasiu Olawale as the chairman, Oyo State Tipper and Lorry Disciplinary Committee.
Mr Lamidi said he was not selected into the committee because of his links with the NURTW, adding that his appointment as disciplinary committee chairman was “different from his role as a union member.”
