South-West Governors on Sunday met in Lagos at a stakeholders meeting to discuss the #ENDSARS protest, its aftermath ,the way forward and also to strategise on improved security in the region.
President Muhammadu Buhari was represented at the event by his Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.
Also, all serving members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) from the region and Inspector General of Police (IGP), Muhammed Adamu, attended the event held at the Banquet Hall in the State House, Alausa.
The session offered traditional rulers a no-holds-barred opportunity to bare their minds on the marginalisation of traditional institutions in the process of governance.
In his opening remark, Chairman, South-West Governors’ Forum and the Governor of Ondo State , Rotimi Akeredolu, said that the region had gone through a lot in recent time.
According to him when the #EndSARS protest started in the South-West and other parts of the country, the police were guiding the protesters.
He said that what started as a peaceful demonstration by the youths eventually turned to a different thing.
He said the style of the attacks, especially in Lagos, was worrisome, stressing that the peace in the region remained fragile in the aftermath of the violence.
Akeredolu said the need to fully restore peace in the Southwest and address the issues that made youths to be used by those who orchestrated the destruction.
“In the recent past, our experience has been most worrisome, everybody is worried, everybody is concerned, we have to sustain the peace we have started noticing.
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In his address, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, said the meeting was for those in government to retrace their steps and have a rethink of a better way to engage the youths more to prevent their restiveness.
Gambari noted that President Buhari was aware of the level of destruction to private and public infrastructure in Lagos.
He reiterated the federal government’s commitment to addressing the many challenges and demands of the youths in due course.
Gambari said: “Our Government’s effort are emerging from multiple level. The Vice President and Governors are designing an engagement framework through the National Economic Council that will be rolled out across States of the Federation.
Chief among them is police reform across all its dimensions. Community policing as an additional layer that can resolve some of our security issues.”
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the engagement could not have come at a better than the present period when the region had just come out from disturbing events.
He believed the dialogue would open a new chapter of peace and prosperity in the Southwest.
The discussion went into an executive session in which all the Southwest Governors, traditional rulers and head of security agencies deliberated on the way forward.
Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, applauded the initiative, which he described as “right step” but upbraided the political class for lack of consultation with traditional institutions in decision making.
He said the dialogue would bridge the gap of communication between political leaders and traditional rulers.
Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, attacked the unitary system being practised, saying the arrangement had led to insecurity and restiveness.
Alawe of Ilawe Ekiti, Oba Adebanji Alabi, said security must be fortified in the region to protect the economy of the Southwest. He also called for the creation of Southwest Development Agenda to revamp and rebuild the destroyed assets.
Oba of Lagos fingered politicians as the cause of issues that led to the EndSARS protest, saying unemployment contributed to the problem.
At the end of the meeting, the participants issued a 13-point communique in which the Southwest Governors and traditional rulers demanded for the repair of destroyed economic assets of the region.
The communique, signed on behalf of the participants by Gov. Akeredolu and Ooni of Ife, reads: “The security architecture of the country requires adjustment to adequately address the threats and realities of insecurity in the country.
There should be more police presence in communities in the Southwest states.
“A comprehensive programme that addresses youth employment and empowerment should be prioritised. Closer coordination and complementarity between the States and the Federal Government.
Curricular of tertiary institutions should be reviewed, with emphasis placed on skills acquisition and entrepreneurship.
“We recognise the damaging and negative impact of fake and false news, and we worry about its destructive and dangerous potency.
We call on Federal Government to use the instrumentality of existing laws and regulations bench-marked from other countries to provide safeguards against the spread of fake news. The 2015 Cyber Act must also be fully used.”
Leaders of Southwest demanded a review of reports of past constitutional conferences, including the 2014 National Conference and implement some of the recommendations, especially with reference to security, economy, equal treatment for citizens all over the country
Other South-West governors in attendance were Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo).
The meeting was also attended by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, his works and housing counterparts, Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, among others.
The traditional rulers in attendance include Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, among others.
