Rivers state governor, Siminalayi Fubara and other Governors of the south-south region – Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa – Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta States (BRACED), have vowed to renig and reposition the BRACED Commission to better meet her set objectives regional socioeconomic development and integration.
This follows a crucial meeting of the governors in Port – Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The meeting, in a statement by Fubara’s Special Assistant, Media, Boniface Onyedi, was held at the Executive Council Chamber of the Edo State Government House.
Others, who attended the meeting were the governors of Akwa-Ibom, Pst. Umo Eno, Bayelsa, Sen. Douye Diri and Delta, represented by the deputy, Chief Monday Onyeme.
In a 16-point communique after the meeting read by Obaseki, the newly elected Chairman of the commission, the governors pledged to revive BRACED, which had witnessed a long period of inactivity.
They recalled that the original goal of the commission was to promote regional socioeconomic development and integration that would be mutually beneficial to the states.
The governors emphasised that there was an urgent need for a review of the Nigerian constitution to allow more powers, resources and responsibilities to devolve to the states for faster economic growth and development, security and peaceful coexistence.
They assured that the council had an obligation to properly position and strengthen the commission to enable it to accomplish the region’s desire to foster economic cooperation and integration among states of the south-south.
The communique stressed that the challenges of the commission were surmountable and asked member states to join hands in addressing the problems as quickly as possible to enable the region to restart and accelerate its journey towards economic cooperation and integration.
The governors further resolved “to foster regional economic cooperation and integration to achieve sustainable development through the creation of a strong regional economy for the collective benefit of the people of the South-South.
“Establish and inaugurate the BRACED Business Council to forge closer partnership with the Council to improve the business climate and attract investors and businesses into the region.
“To collectively engage the federal government on the development of key infrastructure in the region, particularly roads, rail 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.
“To direct the commissioners of environment and attorney-generals of the states to meet and collectively examine the feasibility of a regional environmental law and environmental blue carbon partnership for the protection of the mangroves forest ecosystems of the Southsouth and to work with the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the benefit of the region.
In a brief report, the Director-General of the Commission, Amb. Joe Keshi noted that since its inception the rationale behind its establishment in 2011 had been to improve agriculture, education, environment, power, security and utilisation of sports to empower youths of the region.
He, however, highlighted some challenges of the commission and urged the commission to take prompt actions to address the various issues affecting it.
