Remove Constitutional Obstacles to South-west Devt, Forum Tells Tinubu

Wale Igbintade

The South West Development Stakeholders Forum (SWDSF) has  urged the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove constitutional obstacles to South-west integrated security, waterways, power infrastructure, and environmentally sustainable exploitation of its mineral resources.

The forum in a statement dated February 6, 2023 jointly signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Mr. Alao Adedayo and Reverend Muyiwa Bamebose respectively, stated this in a congratulatory message to the Tinubu, and the Vice-President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, on their victory in the 2023 elections.

SWDSF while assuring Tinubu of its unflinching support, also urged him to remove all obstacles  to South-west development.

It described removal of constitutional obstacles to South-west integrated security, railways and waterways, power infrastructure, and environmentally sustainable exploitation of its mineral resources as ‘low hanging fruits for renewed hope in the South-west region.’

The statement added that the development plan had already been approved in the various blueprints of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN), a Commission established by Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo and Ekiti, which  Tinubu is one of the founding fathers.

The forum declared its readiness to dialogue further with the president-elect on how to actualise these laudable goals of his administration in the South-west, which they described as “the economic and industrial engine room of the nation.”

The forum also drew the Tinubu’s  attention to commitments in his manifesto which buttress the demands of all South-west people and residents at home and abroad.

The statement demand the following: “Initiate action to amend the Constitution with a view to devolving powers, duties and responsibilities to states and local governments in order to entrench true Federalism and the Federal spirit;

“Begin widespread consultations to amend the Constitution to enable States and Local Governments to employ State and Community Police to address the peculiar needs of each community. This would mean setting boundaries for Federal, State and Community Police through new Criminal Justice legislation to replace the Criminal Code, the Penal Code and the Police Act.

“Balance the economy across regions by the creation of 6 new Regional Economic Development Agencies (REDAs) to act as champions of sub regional competitiveness;

“Create growth centers through the promotion of industrialization in all regions by encouraging the use of local resources.

“Generate, transmit and distribute from current 5,000 6,000 MW to at least 20,000 MW of electricity within four years and increasing to 50,000 MW with a view to achieving 24/7 uninterrupted power supply within ten years, whilst simultaneously ensuring development of sustainable/renewable energy;

“Embark on a National Infrastructural Development Programme as a PPP that will ensure the (a) construction of 3,000km of Superhighway including service trunks and (b) building of up to 4,800km of modern railway lines one third to be completed by 2019;

“Enact new legal and regulatory frameworks to establish independent regulation and incentives to accelerate public and private sector investment in seaports, railways and inland waterways;

“Modernise the NNPC and make it the national energy champion. Consider breaking it up into more efficient, commercially driven units and strip it of its regulatory powers and enable it tap into international capital market.”