The South-West Governors’ Forum on Thursday took decisive action to combat insecurity in the region, saying it has agreed to appoint special advisors on security in each state and establish a joint surveillance monitoring team which will oversee and coordinate security efforts across the zone.
Also, the Forum, which held a closed-door meeting at Lagos House, Ikeja to discuss the growth and development of the region, lasting for four hours, agreed to set up a Food Inflation Joint Monitoring Team, which will be able to foster inter-state collaboration and to mitigate food inflation.
The Forum’s meeting, hosted by its Chairman and Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, was attended by Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Biodun Oyebaniji (Ekiti), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) and Ademola Adeleke (Osun).
Reading the 11-point communiqué at the meeting to newsmen, Governor Sanwo-Olu said the Forum strongly condemned ISWAP activities and the threat posed by them in parts of the South-West, but quickly enjoined enhanced collaboration between the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and local security outfits.
The governor urged them to remain vigilant, expressing the Forum’s commitment to taking necessary actions to counter these threats.
“The Forum agreed to establish a Joint Surveillance Monitoring Team to oversee and coordinate security efforts across the South West region.
“As part of this resolution, the Forum has committed to deploying advanced technology, including aerial surveillance systems, to enhance security operations.
“Additionally, the Forum resolved that its Special Advisers on Security should collaborate on intelligence gathering and sharing between State security agencies, local security networks, and federal law enforcement authorities among South-West States,” Sanwo-Olu said.
This was just as the governor expressed the Forum’s appreciation to the South-West Governors for maintaining relative peace and security in the region, particularly during the recent festive period, calling on all states in the region “to continue fostering peaceful coexistence among member states.”
On food inflation, Governor Sanwo-Olu expressed the Forum’s concern over the activities of unscrupulous middlemen who he said deliberately inflated prices of goods and commodities in South-West markets, saying that towards that end, agreement was reached to establish a State Food Inflation Joint Monitoring Team and also the establishment of Aggregation Centre/Food Hubs to foster inter-state collaboration and mitigate food inflation.
Besides, he said the Forum “encourages collaboration among the South-West States to implement collective measures aimed at curbing food inflation in the region.”
He commended the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission for its improved performance over the past twelve months, urging it to continue working diligently with South-West Commissioners for Agriculture on industrialization and infrastructural development across the region.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, on behalf of the Forum, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the economic stability and improvements recorded across the nation, particularly in the sustained supply and distribution of petroleum products and the stabilization of the exchange rate, calling on Nigerians to continue supporting the president’s efforts to strengthen the economy and improve the overall well-being of Nigerians.
The governor said the Forum applauds the Federal Government for the successful implementation of the Student Loan Scheme under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), saying that the loan had benefited South-West students in tertiary institutions as “it encourages all eligible students in the region to take full advantage of this initiative to access higher education, vocational training, and skills acquisition programs.”
Speaking further, Sanwo-Olu commended the Federal Government and the Senate for establishing the South-West Development Commission (SWDC), saying that the Forum had collectively agreed to situate its headquarters at Cocoa House, Ibadan, Oyo State.
On Odu’a Investment Company Limited, he acknowledges the efforts of the organization in efficiently managing joint assets of the South-West region over the past five years.
Besides, the governor commended the company’s Board and Management for the ongoing redevelopment of Premier Hotel in Ibadan, Oyo State, and the proposed redevelopment of the Lagos Airport Hotel in Lagos State.
“Furthermore, the Forum applauds Odu’a Investment Company’s proposed investments in other key sectors of the economy, aimed at driving sustainable economic growth and development across the South West region,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Forum also congratulated the Ondo State Governor, Mr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, on his victory in the Ondo State Gubernatorial Election held on November 16, 2024.
