By David Owei, Bayelsa

Governors of the South-South geo-political have unanimously picked Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, as chairman of the South-South Governors Forum.

Senator Diri was elected on Tuesday during the forum’s meeting in Government House, Yenagoa, the state capital.

Cross River Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, emerged as vice chairman of the forum.

Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, moved the motion nominating Diri while his Rivers State counterpart, Siminalayi Fubara, seconded it.

Responding, Diri said his emergence as chairman was a call to higher service and promised to serve the forum and the region diligently.

He said it was not an office for him alone but a collective task for all governors of the South-South to move the region forward.

Diri stated that the forum would go beyond issuing communiques to taking action in critical issues that affect the region’s development.

His words: “Working together, we have all resolved that our region will not fail. We have seen other regions working while our region was quiet.”

In his opening address, Diri said the objectives of the forum include “fostering greater synergy among our states, and advance regional investments in critical sectors such as security, agriculture, education, power, environment, tourism, and youth empowerment through sports, ICT and entrepreneurship.”

He said it had become imperative to speak with one voice in view of the swiftly changing landscape of the country and the world at large.

According to him, leveraging the strengths and resources of each member state, they could design and implement targeted initiatives that foster sustainable development and prosperity.

He identified South-South regional flight connection as one area of collaboration to ease air travel within the zone.

In their remarks, Governors Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Senator Bassey Otu (Cross River), Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta) and Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers) appreciated Diri for hosting the meeting and for setting the tone for states to have action plans and delivery timetable on issues agreed on.

They noted that the meeting was long overdue and that it was expedient for states in the region to work together to forge a buoyant economy outside of oil and gas.

They also stated that speaking in one voice would send the right signal that the region deserved the necessary attention from the government at the centre.

According to the governors, previous meetings, particularly under the auspices of the BRACED (Bayelsa Rivers Akwa Ibom Cross River Edo and Delta) Commission had not yielded the necessary results and prayed that the new direction under Diri would open a new vista for the region while urging forum members to put political affiliations aside to enable them achieve their objectives.

In a communique, the governors expressed support for the ongoing tax reforms of the President Bola Tinubu administration.

The communique, read by the Bayelsa governor, however urged the president to extend the proposed VAT sharing to other areas of derivation like oil and gas.

They argued that the law on oil derivation prescribed a minimum of 13 per cent and that the federal government should consider also increasing the amount on oil derivation to states of the region.

The forum also appreciated the president for the award and commencement of the coastal road project but demanded that it equally commence from the Calabar axis as it would not only enhance connectivity but also stimulate economic development in the region.

While thanking President Tinubu for the ongoing work on the East-West Road, the governors stressed that work should be expedited to ensure early completion.

Other areas the South South governors called for the intervention of the federal government included the extension of the ongoing remediation of Ogoni land to other polluted environments in the region.

The forum expressed its readiness to establish a robust and structured security network to enhance security of the region.

Highpoint of the meeting was the celebration of the birthday of the Rivers governor, Sim Fubara, who turned 50 on Tuesday.