South South Governors mull setting up own regional security outfit

Governors from the South South states have agreed to set up their own regional security outfit, TheNewsGuru.com can authoritatively report.

The governors who meet on Thursday (today) at Government House, Asaba, Delta State said the decision to float the security outfit follows the recent level of insecurity in the country.

Briefing the press after the meeting, the Chairman South South Governors Forum and Governor of Delta State Senator Ifeanyi Okowa said the issue of security and development was dear to the governors hence the need to come out with a formidable regional security outfit to guarantee peaceful coexistence.

He said Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta (BRACED Commission) would work out modalities on the operations of the proposed regional security.

Governor Okowa said the forum has resolved that all Commissioners of Health from States in the region will meet immediately to work out modalities on how to curtail the laser fever epidemic and the dreaded Corona virus disease that is currently posing global health challenge.

He said there was no known case of corona virus in South South region but there was need to take proactive measures.

The forum according to the chairman also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to constitute the governing board of the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC to enable it perform its constitutional mandate effectively.

He said the forum resolved that the thirteen percent derivation must be taken out of the fund from oil proceed before the rest of the money is shared by Federal Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC.

The forum resolved to provide logistics to revive the BRACED Commission because of its input in regional economic growth and collective development of the region.

The meeting had in attendance five Governors including that of Rivers, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Delta while the governor of Cross Rivers was absent but represented by his deputy.

The Director General BRACED Commission Ambassador Joe Keshi was also at the meeting.