South-West Govs Mull Joint Team To Tackle ISWAP Elements, Bandits

The South West Governors’ Forum on Thursday said they are considering the establishment of a joint surveillance monitoring team which will oversee and coordinate security efforts across the region to ostensibly deal with the threats posed by reported influx of bandits and fighters from the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) into some of the region’s forests.

There had been reports before now that bandits fleeing military operations in the North-West were seeking refuge in the South-West region of the country.

The six South-West governors who met on Thursday at the Lagos House, Ikeja, for a crucial zonal meeting to discuss the growth and development of the region, also agreed to set up a Food Inflation Joint Monitoring Team, which will be able to foster inter-state collaboration and to mitigate food inflation.

The Forum’s meeting that was hosted by its Chairman and Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, was attended by Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Abiodun Oyebaniji (Ekiti), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) and Ademola Adeleke (Osun).

The closed-door meeting, which started at 12:15pm after the arrival of all the governors, focused on common interests and key regional issues, which included agriculture, food security, economic collaboration, security, and the South-West Development Commission.

Sanwo-Olu read the communique after the four hours meeting, saying, “After exhausting deliberation on key issues affecting the South West region and the country at large, the forum resolved as follows:

‘’The forum commended the President, for the economic stability and improvement recorded across the nation, particularly in the sustained supply and distribution of petroleum products and the stabilisation of the exchange rate.

“The forum urges citizens to continue supporting the President’s efforts at strengthening the economy and improving the overall well-being of all Nigerians.

“The forum applauded the federal government for the successful implementation of the student loan scheme under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, (NELFund), which has benefited South West students in tertiary institutions.

“Therefore, encourages all eligible students in the region to take full advantage of this initiative across all our high institutions, vocational training, and skilled action centers in the region.”

Dwelling on security within the region he added that, “the forum commends the South West Governor for maintaining relative peace and security in the region, particularly during the very recent festive period.

“The forum therefore calls on all states to continue fostering peaceful coexistence amongst our citizens.

While acknowledging the threats posed by ISWAP activities in some parts of the South West, the forum strongly condemned any threats to the region’s security.

“Therefore, encourages the enhanced collaboration between the Nigerian police force and our various local security outfits while urging them to remain vigilant.”

While reiterating the commitment to taking necessary action to counter any form of threats into the region, “The forum agrees to appoint special advisors on security in each state and establish a joint surveillance monitoring team which will oversee and coordinate security efforts across the region.

“And as part of the resolution, the forum has committed to deploying advanced technology including area surveillance systems that will enhance security operations.

“Additionally, the forum resolves to strengthen intelligence gathering by fostering a collaboration between our state security operatives, local security networks, and of course the federal enforcement authorities.”

Regarding the South West Development Commission, “The forum commends the federal government and the National Assembly for establishing the South West Development Commission. And the forum collectively agreed to situate the headquarters of this commission when it finally gets signed in Ibadan.

On Oodua Investment Company, the forum received a presentation and thereafter acknowledged efforts of Oodua Investment Company Ltd. to efficiently manage assets in the South West region, particularly over the last five years.

The forum also commended both the board and management of the company on the various ongoing developments, especially around the redevelopment of the Premier Hotel in Ibadan, and the proposed redevelopment of the Lagos Airport Hotel in Lagos.

On food security he said, “The forum recognises the need for food security. We encourage what we see as an ongoing collaborative effort among our South West states and implementing measures which are aimed at reducing economic inflation in the entire region. We believe also that the forum discussion will express concern with activities of unscrupulous middlemen.

“We therefore took a view and agreed to establish what we call a Food Inflation Joint Monitoring Team, which will be able to foster inter-state collaboration and to mitigate food inflation. We also went further, jointly said individually of logistics hope as a means of ensuring food security in each state, but also working collaboratively as a region together.”

Finally, on the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, the forum commended Commission, saying “It’s called the DAWN Commission for its improved performance, especially over the last 12 months, and therefore encourages them to continue to work diligently with and for the interests of the Southwest, especially working well with the Forum of Commissioners of Agriculture, ensuring that they can develop other policy areas in infrastructure, in industrialization, and in all forms that can help integrate the collective efforts of individual states.’’