Speaking on a talk show aired on a private radio station, Splash Fm, Ibadan, on Saturday, Ajimobi said that he would appoint Caretaker Chairmen to run the 33 local governments in the state this month, while elections into the councils would be conducted before the end of June 2016. Ajimobi added that he was in no rush to appoint commissioners and other members of his cabinet, noting that government formulated policies with inputs from Permanent Secretaries of Ministries, and not with Commissioners. “We will organise Local Government elections within the next six months. We should have been able to settle court cases on the matter before then. We didn’t conduct local government elections because there was a court case. But, we have been able to withdraw the court case. Once we appoint Caretaker Chairmen this month, we will have Local Government election before end of June.” “I decided not to appoint Commissioners yet because some of the ministries function very well. Commissioners are political appointees. Policies are not formulated by them. The government with input from the permanent secretaries formulate policies. Commissioners are the political heads of these ministries.” “So, if we want to bring in the Commissioners, we need to first study all the aspects of each ministry. I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag. Just wait, at the appropriate time, we will appoint them. I will appoint them at the time that I fix. It can even be in the next two years but I won’t do it alone for four years.” Ajimobi also disclosed that the decision of former governor, Chief Adebayo Alao Akala and his followers to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) was not connected with a speculated agreement to apportion some political positions to one of Alao Akala’s sons or some of his associates. “In politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies, we only have permanent interests. And once our interests are congruent, what is wrong in having an Alao Akala in our party. He did not kill my brother or daughter. He says he likes what we have and is joining us, so what is the problem?” “He is not joining us to run the state. Alao Akala is not joining Ajimobi. He is joining the APC. If someone wants to join the party and embraces how we run government, what is wrong in that?” “Akala never asked for anything, He impressed me. He never asked for any position like some other people did in the past. Akala and I never sat down to discuss appointments or position sharing. Never, Never.” “I am not giving Alao Akala and his men anything for joining the All Progressives Congress. We did not negotiate that. Ajimobi who also hinted that gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mr Seyi Makinde was set to join the APC, likened APC to a movement on a mission to convert people to seeing the need for good governance. “There is nothing wrong in Alao Akala joining my party. That is good sportsmanship. Seyi Makinde is joining the party. This APC is a movement. It is not about individuals, it is about philosophy. Even if Ladoja wants to come, let him come. We have a system, a system of accountability, performance, transparency, efficiency. We must talk to people and convert them. The movement is to convert people and make people see things the way we see them,” he said.]]>