Criticise Us Constructively– Oyo Deputy Governor to Journalists

The Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Rauf Olaniyan, recently urged journalists in the state to criticise the present administration constructively whenever any missteps are made by the government so amends can be made, adding that Governor Makinde is doing his best to make Oyo State a better place.

Mr. Rauf Olaniyan shared this when he hosted members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, led by their Chairman, Comrade Ademola Babalola, to Iftar at his residence on Saturday.

He said: “Don’t crucify us, criticise us constructively so that we can make an amendment, many things would have gone wrong if journalists are not available to be the watchdog of the society.”

He praised the efforts of journalists in society, saying that the role they play is absolutely crucial to bettering society.

He also reminisced about how opposition party members were shocked at the emergence of the present Oyo State administration under Governor Seyi Makinde, stating that prior to the 2019 gubernatorial election in the state, nobody considered him and his principal as legitimate contenders in the gubernatorial race, adding that their victory came as a surprise to members of the opposition parties.
In his words: “They told us that we never held any political office before, so it will be difficult for us to win the election, I told them that they are going to see a surprise, and the surprise eventually happened when we won.”

“I have been in public service for over 28 years, I have different experiences, and all these experiences I garnered in 28 years have gone beyond politics.”

The Chairman of Oyo NUJ, Comrade Babalola also spoke during the visit and thanked the deputy governor for his support and kindness toward journalists in the state, saying that Olaniyan is a pillar of the journalists’ union.