South South Governors Agree On Regional Flight, Rail Line, Completion Of East West Road

 

 

Governor of Bayelsa State Douye Diri has emerged new chairman of the South-South Governors’ Forum.

This is one of the highlights of the meeting of the Governors at Government House Yenagoa where Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State moved the motion nominating Senator Diri as Chairman and Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State as Vice-Chairman of the Forum.

The motion was seconded by Governor of Rivers State, Sir. Siminalayi Fubara.

In a communique issued after the meeting attended by five Governors, they commended President Bola Tinubu for the award and commencement of the Coastal Road project and appealed that work also commence from the Calabar axis.

The South South Governors also called for the completion of the East West road project,extension of ongoing remediation of Ogoni land to other polluted environment in the region.

 

They also reiterated commitment for the establishment of South South Regional Security Network, and extend the proposed VAT sharing percentages to other areas of derivation such as Oil and Gas.

 

Similarly, Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, sued for a change in the current approach adopted by Governors of States in the Niger Delta region in their pursuit to achieve holistic regional development and economic prosperity.

The Governor insisted on de-emphasis in vested individuals’ political interests while looking at the bigger picture of achieving enduring regional integration that will strengthen unity of purpose to change the trajectory of development in the region.

 

BRACED is an acronym for Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta.

He said: “I want to appeal that if we have to succeed in this drive, we need to keep our political differences aside and understand that the struggle, as at today, is for posterity, for the development of our region.

“It is really sad that in Niger Delta that is the economic base of this country, the construction of a road that you tagged ‘East-West Road’ could be an issue, that we need to beg, protest, and complain to get it fixed. I don’t think it is proper.”

Governor Fubara stated that it is not that the federal authorities do not understand that Niger Delta needs the road but quickly added that they have seen that even the people of the region do not take themselves seriously.

The Governor said the moment Niger Delta people stopped playing to the gallery, and place value on themselves, outsiders will have no option than to accord the region and its people due regard.

Governor Fubara said: “On my part, I want to say this: This is not the first time we are meeting. For me, I followed the course of the region meeting in a forum that we tagged “BRACED Commission.”

“BRACED Commission is also one of the bodies that was constituted at that time to support and work out development strategies for this region. But what I am seeing today is just limiting this meeting to only BRACED COMMISSION.

“We need to widen the scope where other leaders of the region should be part of the discussion of the development of the region, and I think this is the direction that will help the region.”

Reading the Communique of the meeting, the new Chairman of the Forum of Governors of South-South States, and Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, said they support the Federal Government Tax Reform Bills, and urged President Bola Tinubu to extend the Value Added Tax (VAT) sharing percentages to oil and gas derivation.

He stated the Forum’s request to the Federal Government to urge relevant stakeholders and agencies to extend remediation of polluted environment ongoing in Ogoni land to other impacted communities and States in the region.

Governor Diri also said that the Forum resolved to establish a structural regional security network to enhance safety and security, foster stable Niger Delta region conducive for economic growth and prosperity.

Highlight of the event was the hosting of Governor Fubara to a surprise 50th Birthday celebration by the Governors of South-South States at the Government House in Yenagoa.

 

The meeting was attended by the Governors of Akwa Ibom, Pastor Umo Eno, Governor of Cross Rivers, Senator Bassey Otu, Governor Sherriff Oborevwori of Delta State, Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State and the host, Senator Douye Diri of Bayelsa State.