A move to boost food production has been ignited in the Southwest.
The objective is to cut the prices of food items which remain high in the country despite ongoing efforts to bring down inflation.
Governors in the six Southwest states yesterday gave a marching order to commissioners of agriculture to begin the process that will lead to food security in the geo-political zone.
They said: “On food security, the forum acknowledges the efforts of the Federal Government and decides that the Honourable Commissioners for Agriculture of all the states should begin to meet and set up a working template, which will ensure collaboration based on each state’s comparative advantage.”
The governors made this known yesterday after a meeting hosted by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
They commended the Federal Government for turning the sod of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway that will run across three of the states in the zone, and the Badagry to Sokoto Highway, which will pass through Oyo State, but urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to facilitate rehabilitation of other Federal roads in the region.
Some of the decayed Federal roads in the geo-political zones are: the Lagos-Sango-Ota to Abeokuta, the Ibadan to Ilesa expressway, the Akure to Ado-Ekiti Highway and the Ibadan-Oyo-Ogbomoso to Ilorin Highway.
All the six governors – Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Ademola Adeleke (Osun) and Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti) – attended the meeting.
Sanwo-Olu was unanimously picked as chairman of the forum to replace the late former Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who passed on in December last year.
The governors reaffirmed their backing for Regional Security Network Amotekun and condemned the Yoruba Nation agitation.
They renewed their backing for state police while expressing relief that Southwest remains the most peaceful region in the country.
The governors urged the Senate to concur with the House of Representatives by passing the Southwest Development Commission Bill.
Sanwo-Olu read an 11-point resolution of the meeting which states as follows:
•The Forum unanimously nominated and adopted the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu as its Chairman.
•The Forum paid its last respects to its late Chairman of the Southwest Governors’ Forum, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi O. Akeredolu, SAN, CON, and also congratulated the new Governor of Ondo State, H.E Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, for winning the All Progressives Congress’s (APC’s) Governorship ticket for the next election.
•The governors adopted Ise wa fun ile wa as Southwest Anthem.
•The meeting commends the House of Representatives and Southwest Caucus for their efforts at passing the Southwest Development Commission Bill and looks forward to its speedy passage by the Senate.
•The meeting commends President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the groundbreaking of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, the proposed Lagos to Sokoto road and encourages the Federal Government to rehabilitate other Federal roads 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. It reaffirms its full support for State Police.
•On food security, the Forum acknowledges the efforts of the Federal Government and decides that the Honourable Commissioners for Agriculture of all the states should begin to meet and set up a working template, which will ensure collaboration based on each State’s comparative advantage.
•On Minimum Wage, the Forum supports the efforts of the Federal Government, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the Organised Private Sector in their ongoing conversations with the Labour Union. We believe the outcome will reflect true fiscal federalism.
•The Forum also encourages the Federal Government’s efforts on mineral resource exploitation. There should be further collaboration between the Federal Government and States, especially in granting leases to investors.
•The Forum condemns in strong terms the group of people agitating for the Yoruba nation.
•The Forum agrees to strengthen the DAWN Commission on operational efficiency and charges the Commission to focus on economic integration, cooperation and investment promotion of Southwest states. To that end, each state is mandated to appoint a state focal person.
