The Southern Governors’ Forum on Thursday insists that the next President of Nigeria must come from the Southern part of Nigeria in line with politics of equity, justice and fairness.
The forum also reviewed the state and the progress of implementation of the decisions reached in its previous meetings and further resolved and expressed satisfaction with the rate at which the Southern States are implementing the Anti- Open Grazing Laws.
The signing of the anti-open grazing bill into law aligns with the uniform template and aspiration of the Southern Governors.
The governors therefore encouraged States that are yet to enact this law to do so immediately.
The meeting was held at the Lion Building, Government House Enugu, the Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, who doubles as the Governor of Ondo state, Rotimi Akeredolu, encouraged the full operationalization of the already agreed regional security outfits.
In a communique issued and read by Akeredolu, he maintained that the full operationalization of the security outfits would meet, share intelligence and collaborate, to ensure the security and safety of the region.
Also, the forum reaffirmed its earlier commitment to Structural and fiscal federalism as resolved at its inaugural meeting held on Tuesday, 11th May 2021 at Asaba, Delta State.
They further emphasized the need for the Southern States to leverage the legislative competence of their respective State Houses of Assembly as well as representation in the National assembly to pursue its inclusion in the Nigeria Constitution through the ongoing constitution amendment.
The meeting also resolved to support the position that the collection of VAT falls within the powers of the states while expressing satisfaction with the handling of issues around the Petroleum Industry ACT (PIA) and ownership of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) by the larger Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
They thanked the host Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and selected Rivers State as the next host for the Southern Governors’ Forum meeting expected to hold in November 2021.
The communiqué read in full:
The Nigerian Southern Governors’ Forum at its meeting of today, Thursday, 16th September 2021 held in the Government House, Enuqu, Enugu State reviewea tne state or the nation and the progress of implementation of the decisions reached in her previous meetings and further
resolved as follows:
1. Expressed satisfaction with the rate at which the States in the Southern Nigeria are enacting or amending the Anti- Open Grazing Laws which align with the uniform template and aspiration of Southern Governors and encouraged the
States that are yet to enact this law to do so expeditiously.
2. Encouraged the full operationalization of already agreed regional security outfits; which would meet, share intelligence and collaborate, to ensure the security and safety of the region.
3. Reaffirmed its earlier commitment to Structural and fiscal federalism as resolved at the inaugural meeting of the
Forum held on Tuesday, 11th May 2021 at Asaba, Delta State and emphasized the need for the Southern States to leverage the legislative competence of their respective State Houses of Assembiy as well as representation in the National assembly to pursue its inclusion in the Nigeran Constitution through the ongoing constitutional amendment
4. Following from paragraph 3″ above, the meeting resolved to support the position that the collection of VAT falls within the powers of the States.
5. Expressed satisfaction with the handling of issues around the Petroleum Industry ACT (PIA) and ownership of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) by the larger Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
6. Reiterated their earlier position that the next President of Nigeria must come from the Southern part of Nigeria in
line with politics of equity, justice and fairness.
7. The Forum thanked the host Governor, Rt. Hon. IfeanyiUgwuanyi, and chose Rivers State as the next host for the
Southern Governors’ Forum meeting in November 2021.
Arakunrin Oluwarotimí O. Akeredólu; SAN Governor, Ondo State and Chairman, Southern Governors’ Forum.
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