TheCable

The 17 governors from south-west, south-east and south-south are to meet in Lagos on Monday to discuss national issues and forge stronger relations.

The last time such a meeting held was in 2001 when Bola Tinubu was governor of Lagos.

In a statement, Tunji Bello, secretary to the Lagos state government (SSG), said the meeting would be co-hosted by Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of Lagos state, and Emmanuel Udom, his Akwa Ibom counterpart.

Bello said the meeting is in line with the realisation that the different states in the south have several areas of comparative advantage which could be harnessed and become mutually beneficial.

According to him, the governors would also be expected to adopt a common position on the issues of armed robbery, kidnapping, devolution of powers and issue of fiscal federalism which have all gained prominence of late.

“The 2017 Lagos summit of the 17 southern governors representing the south-south, south-west and south-wast zones is expected to come up with a communiqué after the deliberation,” the statement read.

“It is noteworthy to recall that the inaugural meeting of the southern governors took place in Lagos in 2001 under the administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

The statement added that the predominance of views is that if the southern states speak with one voice, they are bound to attract weighty and credible listenership.

Governors from the south-east and south-south zones have been meeting intermittently, the latest was on October 9 in Owerri where they rejected calls for the breakup of the country while rallying support for its continued existence as an indivisible entity.

The governors made their position known in a communiqué.

They reiterated that a divided nation would not be acceptable to the people of the two zones and re-echoed the need for the country to remain united.

Eight governors and one deputy governor attended the meeting.

The communiqué was signed by Dave Umahi, governor of Ebonyi, who is chairman of the forum.