In the last two years, Oyo State government has embarked on transformation agenda which had led to demolition of illegal structures and shanties especially in the state capital.

The exercise which was aimed at beautifying and ensuring of lives and properties of the residents was however received knocks from the people especially those perceived as opposition. They said that government was only demolishing the illegal structures without providing alternative for the affected owners.

They argued that most of the traders whose shops were demolished and the street traders who were forcefully sent packing were not given alternative shops.

Some of the politicians who championed the course of the traders alleged and accused government of not being alive to its responsibilities and the plights of the traders.

In attempt to provide an alternative for the affected traders, the state government embarked on the construction of neighbourhood markets in different parts of the state capital while some of them had been allocated.

Speaking on the transformation agenda, the former Commissioner for Environment and Habitat, Barrister Lowo Obisesan disclosed that initially the agenda faced a lot of opposition and challenges. While noting that it was the vision and mission of the governor to transform the state, he said "the 37 years of military rule as affected the development of the state.

According to him, the idea is to ensure that the environment is safe with

cleanliness, good look and modernisation; how the environment should look like; ensure adequate security; ensure that natural disasters are put under reasonable control,  to see that there is peace and ensure that the atmosphere is good for people to live and invest.

The commissioner argued that the call for an appealing and beautiful state, without fear of insecurity in doing business was the essence of the transformation agenda. Describing his experience in implementing the agenda as rough and hectic, he said that the people of the state have now accepted and seen it as theirs.

He recalled that the first challenge was that there was the need to reintroduce the laws which had been abandoned in the past 37 years.

The laws include how the state should look like, where people should not build shanties, the importance of step-back to the road, where markets should be located and how the various streets within the state should look like.

He said that there was no way the laws could be enforced by the state government without stepping on toes because "the illegal shops, shanties and the step-backs are sources of income to the wealthy people in the state, hence there were threats.

On whether these challenges have not put him off, the ex-commissioner said "up till now, I have seen a lot of things but I have to put my face off."

In the last two years, he said "we have actually take Oyo State to ways of living because there is landmark achievements."To take Ibadan, the state capital from being one of the dirtiest cities in West Africa is an achievement," he said.

On the sustainability of the transformation agenda, he said that the people of the state would vote in future elections based on what they see and not the people. He expressed the believe that All Progressives Congress (APC) will continue with the management and administration of the state, maintenance would be part of the culture.

He assured that the party would not relent in its promises, saying "if we do not have maintenance culture, the essence of what we are doing will be in vain.

"I know that the people behind APC are not people that can be described as 'Ojelus' but then not all of them believe in coming into power to enrich themselves at the detriment of the masses," he said.