The group, Muslim Youths for Good Governance (MYGG), Ogbomoso Chapter, has appealed to the Executive Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde, to include more Muslim faithfuls in his administration, especially from Ogbomoso zone.
The group, through their leader, Mr. Afeez Suleiman, first congratulated His Excellency for his second term emergence. They said they were not surprised by the landslide victory, as both Muslims and Christians resolved to reward the performing Governor for his inclusive, unbiased and productive efforts during his first term.
Afeez further said, “This is a new chapter, and we are expecting more from his excellency, most especially in the area of religious balancing in appointments and engagements. The present situation of appointments in the Ogbomoso zone has not favoured equity and balancing, and we appeal to Mr. Governor to give more chances to our Muslim brethren because they also have a lot to contribute to the State”.
“The recent appointment of Eng. Open Salawu as Executive Assistant to the Governor is a gesture that we sincerely appreciate, that shows the Governor is always a listening leader and he would always be attentive to the plight of the people, but we still believe Mr Governor can do more in the aspect of giving more opportunities to Muslims in the Zone”.
He said “See the chairmanship positions in the Ogbomoso zone. From the information that got to us, we have four Christians and just one Muslim. We have also heard that different names forwarded to the State and federal governments for appointments are mostly Christians. We are not demanding equality, but we want equity”.
The group said while Ogbomoso metropolitan is faring better comparatively, the Ogbomoso suburbs that include Ogooluwa, Surulere and Oriire have not done enough. With the permutations on ground for example, “Surulere Local Government is going to have a Christian House of Representatives Member and a Christian Chairman, and the three appointments from State and Federal coming from the Local Government are reportedly Christians. About 9 Councillors out of 10 are Christians. This type of situation has marginalized our Muslim brothers from the mainstream of governance and turned us into second-class citizens in our domains but democracy is sweet and prosperous if practiced with equity”.
The group sincerely believes that Governor Seyi Makinde still has the powers and authority to effect corrections and consider religious balancing to add credence to peaceful coexistence and inclusive development in Ogbomoso and Oyo State at large.
