The six South-West governors under the auspices of the Western Nigerian Governors Forum, on Wednesday, formally admitted Lagos State into the O’dua Investment Group with a total of 115 million shares, thus growing the share equity of the company to 690 million.
The governors – Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) and Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti State), in a communiqué at the end of a two-day quarterly meeting held at Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja, also ratified a document allowing Lagos to acquire land in their respective states for massive rice cultivation and production.
Specifically, all the governors resolved to embark on a Rice Accelerated Programme for Integrated Development (Western RAPID) to further consolidate actions on food security and job creation in the region, while a Regional Agriculture Summit to be sponsored by Lagos State, was agreed to be held in Ibadan in May.
The forum, which is being coordinated through the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, also signified interest in the concession of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
Reading the communiqué to journalists, Director General of DAWN Commission, Mr Oluseye Oyeleye, said: “The States of the Region as a bloc will be monitoring the process for the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Concession into a world class infrastructure.”
He said the governors also resolved that DAWN Commission, Focal Representatives and Agriculture Commissioners of the region would hold a technical session with Nigeria Incentive-based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) and develop a state by state roadmap in four weeks before the Regional Agriculture Summit scheduled for May 2018.
It was also agreed that DAWN Commission should work on reviving Regional Inter-School Football Competition, and as well conduct a study on the successes in Education in Ekiti State for peer learning/adoption among the Western Nigeria states.
Also, the governors directed the DAWN Commission and the representatives to structure a programme on the Omoluabi Ethos of the Yoruba people.
However, Ogun State Deputy Governor, Mrs Yetunde Onanuga, who represented Amosun, raised some reservations about the land deal, saying that the State Government on account of previous issues with Lagos on a similar subject matter would be refraining from releasing land to the State until the said issues were resolved.
Nonetheless, Onanuga said: “We will be prepared to sign this memorandum later when some of these issues are straightened out.”
When asked by journalists on way out of the issues raised by Ogun State, Ambode said he was optimistic that all the states would join in the effort to ensure food security and create jobs for the people.
He said: “What has happened is that we wanted to expand the agric output of our rice mill and in doing so, we decided that all the south west States should be able to cultivate rice and supply paddy to the proposed rice mill that is coming up in Imota in Lagos.
“So, what we have done is that four other States have agreed to sign the Memorandum of Understanding which they have actually done today and so what is happening between Lagos and Ogun is that there were some minor issues that were outstanding before and based on that they could not sign today but you could also hear that they are committed to signing when those issues are resolved.
“We are having a 32-ton per hour rice mill in Imota and we are going to require 32,000 hectares of paddy cultivation which even the whole of the south west cannot even provide but because we are interested in integration and also independence, it is important that beyond going to Kebbi or Kano, all the south western states should also benefit from it and the idea is that we are trying to procure land there but we will also use the people and the farmers in the respective states to cultivate the land and by so doing we have created employment in those States and we will be off-takers to the paddies that they are producing and so I am able to buy it and also use it for my own rice mill and then sell it in Lagos and so I create employment across the region and at the same time put money into the pocket of our people,” Governor Ambode said.
Earlier, Aregbesola described the incorporation of Lagos State into the economic framework of the south west region as historic and long coming since 1948, adding that the development would strengthen the O’dua Investment Group and drive the development of the region.
Meanwhile, Fayose has lauded Ambode for his innovative projects across the landscape of the State but urged him to replicate same in terms of leading the economic growth and development of the south west.
Fayose, who spoke at the opening session of the Forum, said though Ambode had done commendably well in championing south west integration, he must, however, do more for the comfort and well-being of the Yoruba nation.
“As much as we want restructuring; we want true federalism; I am committed to it but talking about Nigeria, the west has potentials; we have the capacity to develop this country and with Lagos on the driver’s seat, we can save the whole of this country.
“The states of the south west are looking up to Governor Ambode. As Governor of Ekiti, I barely get allocation that pays my salary but when we look at Lagos being in the south west, we are consoled and Lagos can make the whole of the south west comfortable but we will continue to come to Lagos if you don’t do something about it.
“We need Governor Ambode to lead south west growth and if we are able to achieve this, in another ten years, the issue will no longer be restructuring because people will begin to look at what is happening in the west,” Fayose said.
Fayose, who is the only Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor in the region, said credit must also be given to the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his contribution to the growth and economic integration of the south west.
He particularly described Tinubu as a manufacturer that produces quality products, who in turn, are making giant strides for the benefit of the people.
According to Fayose, “When you see a product, you can tell of its manufacturer. I salute Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and I will keep acknowledging him. I am never a pretender; I have been very consistent and I will keep on saying it, irrespective of political affiliation.
“Asiwaju Tinubu laid the foundation; nobody can deny it. I am never a member of APC and I will never be but the truth must be said at all times. The environment where we are today tells it all. I am particularly proud of his product – Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor of Lagos State,” he said.
Fayose specifically eulogised Ambode’s attitude, character, person and above all, commendable achievements in office so far, saying some of the innovative transformation already implemented in Lagos by the present administration were being replicated in Ekiti.
He said: “The little Governor Ambode has done within this timeframe is so encouraging. I told the Governor one day when I was building my bridge in Ekiti that I was passing through some of his projects in Lagos and I added what I saw to my own; some of them I copied in the night.
“When your brother is doing well, celebrate him. The problem in Nigeria is that evil is celebrated more than truth. I am openly acknowledging you and that is me. I don’t care, when I am with you, I celebrate you openly.
“There are some lights I saw on the bridge in Lagos; I went there in the night, I studied everything and as we speak, someone is on his way out of the country to get them for me to use for our projects,” Fayose said.
On his part, Ambode said there was no better time for states in the region to pull together to fathom ways of tackling social and economic challenges facing the people individually and collectively.
He particularly emphasized the need for comprehensive, sustainable and collective food security plan, as well as collaborative efforts on issues of security, economy and well-being of the people, among others.
According to him, “Increased collaboration in agricultural activities is critical to sustaining the teeming population of Western Nigeria. Lagos State alone is over 23 million people and on record, 85 people migrate into Lagos from other parts of Nigeria on hourly basis.
“The drive towards food security is, therefore, not only to ensure that Lagosians have enough to eat, but that the people of the entire Western Nigeria have enough to eat and export to other States and outside Nigeria.
“The whole essence of food security of Western Nigeria is thus focused on our States maximizing their comparative advantages to guarantee increased food, jobs creation and the welfare of our people,” Ambode said.
