BEVERLY HILLS, February 13, (THEWILL) – Governors from the South-West geopolitical zone converged on Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, where they resolved on Monday to each donate a centre that will be made Regional Centre of Excellence.
The governors also agreed to give quality education to the youths to ensure that moral standards are maintained in order to enhance the development of the zone.
On security, it was resolved that the governors will adopt a common framework by directing the Commissioners of Police in the South-West to regularly meet and share intelligence to ensure aerial, land and waterways safety, with the state governments supporting with critical resources.
These were contained in a communique issued at the end of the South-West governors’ meeting, and read to newsmen by the host governor, Ayodele Fayose.
Apart from Fayose, those at the meeting, were governors Rauf Aregbesola (Osun); Senator Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo); Dr. Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo); Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos); while Ogun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga, represented Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
The governors are to collaborate on energy and power, digital and telecoms; leisure and entertainment as well as water infrastructure by constituting a Regional Technical Working Group on South-West Integrated Infrastructural Development.
The forum approved the South-West Regional Integrated Commercial Agriculture Development Programme while Lagos is to champion a structured regional food exchange programme.
The communique reads in part, “the Odua Investment Group is to serve as a special purpose vehicle to drive the regional economic integration mission.
“Lagos will reinforce itself as a stakeholder and critical part of the Odua Investment Group as the vehicle for the socio-political and economic development of the South-West geopolitical zone of Nigeria within the framework of prospering the lot our people.”
Earlier in an address of welcome, Fayose urged his colleagues to protect regional interest and the socio-economic development of the people.
Lamenting that the 2017 budget of the Federal Government was not in favour of the South-West, he pointed out that the zone was one of the least beneficiaries in the 2017 budget.
Fayose also urged the governors to adopt a common strategy to curb the menace of herdsmen in the South-West so as to prevent the people of the zone from being consumed by hunger.
Alleging the marginalisation of the zone in the federal structure, Fayose said, “How much did the Federal Government allocate to irrigation, construction of dams and storage facilities to boost agriculture in the South-West?”
The governors’ quarterly meeting held under the Development Agenda for Western Commission. The next governors’ forum would hold in April in Ogun.
