Makinde okays N25m compensation for Oyo anthem composers

The writers of the state anthem “Asiwaju Ni Wa” will get ₦25 million in compensation, according to the Oyo State Government.

Following Tuesday’s Executive Council Meeting, Governor Seyi Makinde approved the pay while praising former First Lady Mrs. Florence Ajimobi for her initiative and vision.

This was disclosed in a statement released on Wednesday by Prince Dotun Oyelade, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation.

The commissioner stated that the Ministry of Information and Orientation would create a documentary on the background behind the song, and that the composers would each receive a plot of land and have streets named after them.

According to Oyelade, Asiwaju Ni Wa was made the state’s official anthem approximately ten years ago without the composers receiving any payment, which prompted the council to form a committee the previous year.

In the meantime, the commissioner declared that during the 2017–2020 promotion exercise, the council also examined the promotions of 1,629 state employees, including nurses who suffered because of an administrative error.

Oyelade added that the government also approved the prayers of the state Head of Service, Mrs Olubunmi Oni, for the reinstatement of 47 civil servants who were wrongfully dismissed from the service during the last administration.

He said that 124 employees who lost their jobs in 2012 had also received pardons.

According to the commissioner, 180 employees who were employed in the last stages of the previous administration’s 2019 departure had their termination approved by the council, while 823 workers who had been fired by that administration due to the submission of a forged certificate had their dismissal upheld.