Governors from the six states in the South South geopolitical zone met in Benin City, the Edo State capital on Thursday to discuss ways of reviving the moribund BRACED Commission.
Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Mr. Chris Nehikhare, said the meeting hosted by Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, came after many years that the commission had not been functional.
The commission, whose name was derived from the first letters of Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta States was established in 2010 to coordinate an integrated development of the six states of the South South Zone. Governor Obaseki is the current chairman of the commission.
Its objective is to promote economic cooperation and regional integration, among the South-South States, contributing to the increasing standards of living of the people of the region.
Five Governors: Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, and Douye Diri of Bayelsa and the Deputy Governor of Delta State, Chief Monday Onyeme, attended the Nehikhare said the meeting was also attended by the commissioners of budget and planning of each of the states.
He said issues deliberated on included security in the region, knowledge sharing and peer review mechanism.
At the end of the meeting, the governors issued a communique which among other items demanded that the seaports in the South-South region be rehabilitated and decentralized so that they can be put to functional use.
The communique, which was presented by Governor Obaseki, also addressed the issue of putting in place a regional environmental law and an environmental blue carbon partnership for the protection of the mangrove forest ecosystems in the region.
It also called for constitutional devolution of powers, resources and responsibilities to the states for rapid economic growth and development, security and unity.
The governors said they were determined to reposition the BRACED Commission South South region. They resolved to “collectively engage the Federal Government on the development on the development of key infrastructure in the region, particularly roads, rural development (fast train from Lagos to Calabar), the decentralization and rehabilitation of the seaports in the region as well as the management of security in the country.”
The governors said a BRACED Business Council will be established to improve the business climate and attract investors and businesses to the region.
