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Governors of the South West states in the country met in Ibadan on Monday at the Oyo State chambers.
According to a communique issued at the end of the meeting by Dipo Famakinwa, Director General of DAWN Commission, the meeting, tagged, SOUTHWEST GOVERNORS’ ECONOMIC FORUM, which was convened at the instance of the Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, was attended by the Governors of Ekiti, Mr. Ayodele Fayose; Lagos, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Ogun, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; and Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; with Ondo represented by the Secretary to the State Government.
Also in attendance were the Director General DAWN Commission, Mr. Dipo Famakinwa, Director General, NISER, Professor Victor, Group Managing Director, Odua Investment Limited, Mr. Adewale Raji, and some very high level officials across the States in the Region.
Deliberations at the Forum focused on developing and agreeing on a common and integrated front for reinforcing regional integration and economic development in Southwest Nigeria. The focus was on re-establishing the need for strong and implementable decisions that would put the Southwest Region back on the path of irreversible progress.
The communique reads further: “At the end of the meeting, the leadership of the Region agreed and resolved that deliberate, concerted and determined collaborative and cooperative Regional-based actions should be carried out with the following in mind:
1. That the interest of the Yoruba people should be in focus at all times, and all politics must be politics of development.
2. That regional cooperation, synergy and economics of scale is important to move the Region forward
3. That good intentions must be backed by sincerity of purpose
4. That the prosperity of any constituent part is negated if others are not.
5. That political differences should no longer be a barrier to the economic development of the Region while the welfare of the people should be foremost.
6. A regime of continuity, regularity and urgency of interaction is important among the leadership of the Region.
7. The States should jointly embark on collaborative programmes in areas of common cooperation identified as needing immediate attention in the region include Security, Education, Transportation infrastructure, including roads, rail and water transportation, Trade and Commerce linkages, Agriculture, and Sports
8. That the DAWN Commission (the regional development agency for pursuing the regional integration agenda of the States of Western Nigeria, comprising Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo) should be vigorously strengthened to coordinate the regional development process
9. All the States agreed to work together within the framework of people-centric development.
10. The present crop of governors must bequeath to the people a good legacy reflective of the visions of our founding fathers and common ancestors.
11. That the current Chairman of the Southwest Governors’ Forum, Senator Abiola Ajimobi should also serve as the Chairman of the Commission
12. DAWN Commission shall develop programmes and activities along the identified areas of cooperation and bring them up for cooperative implementation
At the end of the forum, participants underscored the fact that regional integration and sustainable economic development of the Southwest Region presents an opportunity that can provide the necessary intervention to push the Region and indeed the whole of Nigeria out of economic recession into economic prosperity.
The Forum agreed to meet quarterly henceforth, and it was unanimously agreed that His Excellency, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, Governor of Ekiti State would host the next Southwest Governors’ Forum Meeting.