10th June, 2024
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu was on Monday nominated as the new Chairman of the Southwest Governors Forum.
Sanwo-Olu was nominated at the Southwest Governors’ Forum’s meeting held at the State House, Ikeja, Lagos on Monday.
All Southwest governors were present at the meeting which lasted for hours.
At the meeting were Governors Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ademola Adeleke (Osun) and Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti).
The governors unanimously nominated Sanwo-Olu, who is now in his second term to lead them as chairman.
The meeting by the South-West Governors Forum addressed issues affecting the zone and Nigeria as a whole.
A communique issued at the end of the meetinfg and read by Sanwo-Olu said the Forum paid its last respects to its late Chairman of the South West Governors’ Forum, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi O. Akeredolu and also congratulated the new Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, also for winning the All Progressives Congress’ (APC’s) Governorship ticket for the next election.
The Governors adopted Ise wa fun ile wa as South West Anthem.
The meeting commended the House of Representatives and South West Caucus for their efforts at passing the South West Development Commission Bill and looked forward to its speedy passage by the Senate.
The governors also commended President Bola Tinubu, on the groundbreaking of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, the proposed Lagos to Sokoto road and encouraged the Federal Government to rehabilitate other Federal roads in the region.
On security, the Forum commended the relative peace in the South West region and noted the collaboration between all security agencies and the Amotekun Corps, while reaffirming its full support for State Police.
On Food Security, the Forum acknowledged the efforts of the Federal Government and decided that the Commissioners for Agriculture of all the States should begin to meet and set up a working template, which would ensure collaboration based on each State’s comparative advantage.
On Minimum Wage, the governors supported the efforts of the Federal Government, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the Organised Private Sector on their ongoing conversations with the Labour Union, saying they believed the outcome would reflect true fiscal federalism.
The Forum also encouraged Federal Government’s efforts on mineral resources exploitation, saying there should be further collaboration between the Federal Government and States, especially in granting leases to investors.
The Forum condemned in strong terms the group of people agitating for Yoruba nation.