The Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has emerged as the chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum while the Governor of Anambra State Chukwuma Soludo will serve as his deputy.
This was communicated by the chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum and the Governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwoolu after the forum’s meeting at the Presidential Lodge in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Monday.
Giving his acceptance speech after the meeting which lasted for over five hours, Governor Abiodun pledged not to betray the confidence reposed in him and his vice by their colleagues.
Governor Abiodun is replacing the former governor of Ondo State, the late Rotimi Aketedolu, and is expected to give the necessary leadership for the growth and development of the region.
Thirteen governors and three deputies attended the meeting. But the Rivers State Governor Similayi Fubara was absent from the event.
Abiodun emerged as the SGF Chairman at a forum of the southern governors held at the Presidential Lodge, Abeokuta, Ogun State Capital, where 16 governors were in attendance except the Govenror of Rivers State, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara who was absent at the meeting.
The forum went into closed door meeting which lasted about five hours.
Abiodun while briefing newsmen after the meeting said, It is indeed an honour and a humble one at that, that I have been nominated to lead the Southern Governors’ Forum, along side with Professor Charles Soludo, the Governor of Anambra State as the Vice Chairman of this forum.
“I first want to thank all the Governors, the 17 Governors for coming to Abeokuta today for this meeting, the first meeting after about three years. It underscores the commitment and the determination to ensure that the Southern States occupy by their pride of place.
“I also want to thank them for this confidence so reposed in myself and Professor Soludo and pledged that we will ensure that this confidence is justified.
“We have discussed a whole ranging number of issues but because of time constraints, myself and Governor Soludo will available to you pressmen the details of our communique that reflects our aspirations, our determination and the new and repositioned Southern Governors’ Forum.”
The Southern Governors Forum serves as the collective body for the 17 governors from the South-West, South-South, and South-East geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State says his counterparts in the southern region want state and community policing to tackle rising security challenges in the country.
The security situation has worsened in recent years with kidnapping for ransom among other crimes making headlines. Calls for the creation of state police have been a controversial topic. But Governor Abiodun says his colleagues from 16 other states are backing the establishment of state and community policing.
According to him, this was part of the decisions by the Southern Governors’ Forum which met in Abeokuta, Ogun State on Monday.
“So, that was something that we discussed. We all spoke with one voice in support of state policing,” he said on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“We spoke with one voice in support of regional security outfits which almost all regions have set up and that are working hand in glove with the law enforcement agencies and providing them with intelligence and support.”
