South-south governors meet in Bayelsa over regional integration

Governors in the south-southern part of Nigeria are scheduled to meet in Bayelsa state for the progress of the region

- The meeting is being convened by the Bayelsa state governor, Seriake Dickson, just like the one recently held by northern governors

Governors in the south-southern part of Nigeria are expected to meet in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa state at the weekend.

Governor Seriake Dickson is the convener of the meeting

The governors would be meeting like their northern counterparts under the aegis of the South-South Governors Forum (SSGF) to discuss issues bothering the development of the region.

Vanguard reports that the details of the proposed meeting are not known yet but that a government source confirmed it.

The states under the BRACED Commission, set up in 2011 to promote the cooperation and integration of the south-south states, are Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Rivers states.

The commission had been troubled as a result of politics, but this meeting is meant to revive the association.

It was learnt that Dickson got the blessings of his other colleagues to convene the meeting.

He was also reportedly called by Chief Edwin Clerk, a leader in the south-south region who was disturbed that the association was being killed as a result of political divide.

“Governor Seriake Dickson as the oldest serving governor in the zone is convening the parley, which is aimed at fostering unity and integration among the states.

“Since the other zones are all working towards integration, it is also in the interest of the south-south states to come together and chart a common front,” the report quoted Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as saying.