The Oyo State governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mogaji Olusegun Agboola, has pledged to grant local governments greater administrative and financial autonomy if elected governor in the 2027 governorship election.
Agboola pledged on Thursday while participating in the 1st Success 105.3 FM Ibadan Public Town Hall Political Meeting for 2027 Oyo State Gubernatorial Candidates, held at the Otunba Subomi Hall, University of Ibadan.
He said his administration would ensure that local governments operate in line with constitutional and federal government provisions, stressing that councils would be allowed to function independently of the state government and access and utilise their statutory allocations.
According to him, his administration would not interfere with local government funds, while internally generated revenue would also be retained by the councils for the development of their respective areas.
Speaking on education, Agboola promised to declare a state of emergency in the sector, arguing that while the present administration had introduced elements of modern education, the system still operates largely with an outdated administrative approach.
He said his administration would reform the education system to make it responsive to contemporary employment demands and equip students with relevant skills for the modern economy.
Agboola also promised periodic training and retraining of teachers to enable them to adopt modern teaching methods and remain abreast of developments in the education sector.
On security, the SDP candidate said his administration would support the establishment of state policing and create Local Government Marshals to provide localised security across the 33 local government areas.
He said the proposed marshals would be empowered to operate within their communities and complement existing security agencies.
Agboola also proposed the establishment of a Security Command and Control Centre, which he said would monitor security activities in identified hotspots across the state on a 24-hour basis after the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.
He promised to allocate adequate funds to security, provide continuous training for security personnel, and equip them with modern tools and incentives to enhance their effectiveness.
The SDP candidate further said his administration would establish stronger security cooperation with neighbouring states through community policing and inter-state collaboration.
On the ongoing debate surrounding the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in Oyo State, Agboola proposed the introduction of what he described as a Self-Invested Pension Plan (SIPP).
He said the proposed arrangement would give civil servants greater choice by allowing individual workers to select their preferred pension plans and determine the amount they wish to contribute, subject to applicable regulations.
Agboola also pledged to create continuous employment opportunities and expand skills-acquisition programmes for young people, saying such initiatives would provide alternatives to youth involvement in thuggery and hooliganism.
Speaking on state-owned properties that have been sold by the current administration, he promised to review the transactions if elected.
He said properties found to have been sold unjustly or illegally would be reversed, subject to the applicable legal process.
The town hall provided an opportunity for the SDP candidate, Mogaji Agboola to outline his positions on local government administration, education, security, pension reforms, youth development and management of public assets ahead of the 2027 Oyo State governorship election.
