South-West governors parley on security, economic issues, visit Tinubu

Governors of the six South-West states on Tuesday met in Lagos to discuss security and economic issues of interest to the region.

Five governors – Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun) and Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) were at the meeting.

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, was represented by his deputy, Mr. Rauf Olaniyan.

The meeting, which started at 4:30p.m. was held behind closed doors by members of South-West Governors’ Forum.

After 90 minutes, the governors rose from the meeting and offered no detailed information on matters discussed.

Addressing journalists, chairman of the Forum and Ondo State Governor, Akeredolu, gave a brief statement on their discussion.

Akeredolu said that part of their deliberations bordered on security situation in the region.

He added that there was also discussion on Oodua Group, a company owned by the six South-West states, but declined to give further details.

He pointed out that the Forum was not willing to share full information on the meeting.

He said: “We, the six governors of the South-West under the South-West Governors’ Forum met today. We deliberated on a number of common and personal issues. We also deliberated on our common heritage, which is the Oodua Group of Companies.

“At the end, we agreed on a few things; a number of them, which have to do with security, are not what we can discuss in the open. This short address is just to let you (pressmen) know we met today but we don’t want our decisions discussed in the open.”

Immediately after the meeting, The Star learnt that the South-West Governors had a closed-door meeting with the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, at his private residence in Bourdillon, Ikoyi, Lagos.

A source told The Star that Governor Fayemi was absent during the visit to Tinubu.

However, a source close to Fayemi told The Star that the chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) had a scheduled appointment outside Lagos which he had to honour.

Fayemi and Akeredolu had earlier visited Tinubu while in London.