Insecurity: S/West Speakers Brainstorm, Proffer Lasting Solution

S/West Speakers Seek Even Development For Region

The Conference of Speakers in South West zone on Friday, called on political stakeholders in the region to promote even development.

Chairman, Conference of Speakers of South West State Legislatures, Bamidele Oleyelogun made this call at the conference’s maiden meeting held in Lagos to proffer lasting solutions to the lingering security threat confronting the region.

According to Oleyelogun,“We want peace and unity in South Western states and we had robust debate on what is to be done to move our zone forward,” he said. Oleyelogun, who is also the Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly, said the South-West Speakers would return to their states to discuss with their governors and stakeholders on the way forward.

On how to fund the proposed special security offices across the region, he said that the governors were ready to support security issues affecting their states.

In his welcome address, Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of Nigeria, Mudashiru Obasa, highlighted issues affecting security in the region.

Obasa said: “We are gathered here today to deliberate on South West economic and socio-political integration for progress.

“We know the problems
confronting us as a region, which includes kidnapping, theft, arson and herdsmen attacks on our people.

“It has reached an alarming height and we need to beef up our internal security; all stakeholders to the hydra-headed security problems confronting us in the region, should collaborate to find lasting solutions.”

Obasa, who is the speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, noted that the idea to establish special security offices across the region was also in the pipeline.

He urged the local, state and the federal government to work assiduously to stem the threat to peace, just as he urged the federal government to be proactive in protecting Nigerians in South Africa against xenophobic attacks.

“There should be speedy action to halt this sad development, we condemn xenophobic attacks in its entirety and we urge our citizens to give peace a chance.

“Nigerians should not result to vandalisation of their investments in Nigeria in retaliation to South African xenophobia,” he said.

Present at the meeting were Speakers of Ogun, Olakunle Oluomo and Adebo Ogundoyin of Oyo State.

Others were Funminiyi Afuye of Ekiti, Timothy Owoeye of Osun as well as principal officers of some state assemblies.