- Laments power problem
From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The South- South governors under the aegis of BRACED Commission Governor’s Council on Tuesday met in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital and condemned the killing of 17 soldiers by some armed men in Delta State.
The BRACED is the acronym for Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa- Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta, states in the South/ South which make up the commission.
In a communique issued at the meeting of the meeting, the member states while condoling with the President as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the military hierarchy and the bereaved families, re-echoed calls for a high-powered commission of inquiry to unearth what actually transpired to avoid future occurrence.
Consequently, it has therefore called for a defined role and mission of troops deployed to BRACED states so as to prevent clashes with civilians.
The communique recommended that the military should not be involved in boundary, communal and family disputes, stressing that such issues should not be part of military operational missions.
It also appealed to the military to allow villagers in Okuama return home to resume normal life.
The meeting which commended the Bayelsa state government over its partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) to build a peace architecture meant to curb crimes and prevent violence in the state, deliberated on modalities to expand the programme to ensure inclusion of other BRACED member states.
On the power situation, the Council decried the epileptic state of electricity in the region, despite huge investments in the power sector by successive governments of the region.
The Council called on the power companies operating in the region to work more closely with the state governments to ensure the operationalization of the new Electricity Act of 2023.
It also called on the Federal Government to embark on a comprehensive review of the power sector, particularly with reference to transmission.
While commending President Bola Tinubu for approving the construction of the coastal road from Lagos to Calabar, the commission called on the Federal Government to expedite work on the East-West Road.
It also stressed the need for member-states to develop better regional interconnectivity through road, rail, water and air systems.
The commission commended the Federal Government for establishment of the National Agriculture Fund and expressed optimism towards working with the agency to improve the economic development of the region, particularly in the area of agro-entrepreneurship and food sufficiency.
The BRACED commission welcomed the ongoing efforts of member-states to promote financial literacy and skills acquisition among women and youths, in order to promote the growth of small and medium enterprises in the region and directed that the training and ongoing efforts be sustained throughout the region.
The meeting had in attendance the host governor, Senator Douye Diri, Chairman of the Council and Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, the deputy governor of Delta State, Monday Onyeme and his Akwa Ibom counterpart, Senator Akon Eyakenyi. Rivers State governor, Sim Fubara, sent two representatives to the meeting.