The Governors of the South-South geopolitical zone have unanimously elected Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, as the new chairman of the South-South Governors Forum.
The decision was made during the forum’s meeting held at the Government House in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Tuesday.
In addition to Diri’s election, Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State was chosen as the forum’s vice chairman. Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, moved the motion for Diri’s nomination, which was seconded by Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Following his election, Governor Diri expressed his gratitude and described the role as a call to higher service. He emphasized that his leadership would be a collective effort, aimed at advancing the region’s development. He also stressed the need for the forum to take concrete actions on key issues affecting the region, beyond simply issuing communiques.
Governor Diri highlighted regional collaboration as a means to foster sustainable development, citing the potential for improved air travel through South-South regional flight connections as one area of focus. He called for all states in the region to leverage their strengths and resources to implement targeted initiatives for regional prosperity.
Working together, we have all resolved that our region will not fail. We have seen other regions working while our region was quiet,” he said.
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.”
During the meeting, governors, including Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Bassey Otu of Cross River, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, and Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, commended Diri for hosting the meeting and setting the tone for actionable plans. They agreed that the region must unite to develop a robust economy independent of oil and gas, and emphasized the importance of presenting a unified voice to secure the region’s fair share of attention and resources from the federal government.
The governors acknowledged that previous regional efforts, particularly under the BRACED Commission, had not achieved the desired outcomes. They expressed hope that Diri’s leadership would open new opportunities for collaboration and urged forum members to set aside political differences to focus on common goals.
In a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the governors voiced support for President Bola Tinubu’s ongoing tax reforms, specifically urging the president to extend the proposed VAT sharing to include oil and gas derivation. The governors called for an increase in the oil derivation allocation to the South-South states, citing the legal minimum of 13 percent for oil revenue.
The forum also expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for the commencement of the coastal road project, but urged that it should begin from the Calabar axis to enhance connectivity and stimulate regional economic development. Additionally, the governors thanked the president for progress on the East-West Road, calling for expedited work to ensure its timely completion.
