*Elect Sanwo-Olu As Forum’s Chairman
*Harp On Economic Integration, Security, Food Production At Meeting
REGIONAL economic integration, food production and regional security topped the agenda at the meeting of the Southwest Governors’ Forum held in Lagos on Monday, June 10.
At the meeting, held behind closed-doors in Alausa, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was unanimously elected as Chairman of the Forum, replacing the late governor of Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), who chaired the Forum until his death in December last year.
All the six governors in the zone- Seyi Makinde (Oyo); Dapo Abiodun (Ogun); Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo); Ademola Adeleke (Osun); Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti) and Sanwo-Olu (Lagos)- attended the meeting, which lasted four hours.
The meeting, after reviewing the security across the region, pointed out that Southwest had been relatively peaceful, but renew their call for the creation of State Police to further strengthen safety in the region.
They stressed the need for security cooperation to enhance economic development and free movement within the region; hence called for more collaboration between the country’s security agencies and the Western Nigeria Security Network, known as Amotekun Corps.
The governors commended the House of Representatives and members of the Southwest caucus in the National Assembly for their efforts at passing the Southwest Development Commission Bill, urging the senate to speed up passage of the Bill.
To expand food production and agricultural development, the governors directed their respective commissioners for Agriculture to immediately come together and develop a comprehensive agricultural template that would leverage on each state’s comparative advantage.
At the end of the meeting, Sanwo-Olu, while reading the 11-point resolution adopted in the communique signed by all the six governors, said: “The Southwest Governors’ Forum, at its meeting today, June 10, 2024, deliberated extensively on contemporary issues in the Southwest states and resolved to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the groundbreaking of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road and the proposed Lagos to Sokoto road.
“We, however, encourage the Federal Government to rehabilitate other federal infrastructure in the region.
“On security, the Forum commends the relative peace in the Southwest region and notes the collaboration between all security agencies and the Amotekun Corps. We reaffirm our full support for State Police.
“We acknowledge the efforts of the Federal Government to strengthen food security. We decide that commissioners for Agriculture of all the Southwest states should begin to meet and set up a working template, which will ensure collaboration based on each State’s comparative advantage.”
On the vexed minimum wage issue, the Forum expressed support for the efforts of the Federal Government, Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the Organised Private Sector (OPS) to resolve the wage dispute, urging continued engagement with the Labour union.
The governors expressed hope that the outcome of the negotiations for better wages would reflect true fiscal federalism.
The Forum hailed the Federal Government’s efforts on exploration policies on mineral resources, but called for collaboration with states in the process to grant leases to investors.
The governors adopted a popular song, composed by the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, titled, Ise wa fun ile wa, as common anthem across the six states.
They condemned, in strong terms, the activities of a group agitating for Yoruba nation, saying the region remained an integral part of the country.
