January 18, (THEWILL) – The first meeting in 2024 of the executive Governor of the South-South oil and gas-rich region, under the auspices of the BRACED Commission in this current dispensation is billed to be held on Thursday, January 18, 2023, under the leadership of Edo State Governor, His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki, who doubled as Chairman of the Governing Council Brace Commission.
According to the Director General BRACED Commission, Ambassador Joe Keshi, He said that he has confidence in the Governors of the south-south region to rejuvenate the BRACED Commission. He is appealing to well-meaning South-South indigenes and co-operates bodies, not to be deluded over the challenges the commission has faced in recent times, because the time for the commission to fly has come now.
Following, the meeting bill is to be held in Benin City. He further said that the aspirations of the founding fathers will be brought to fruition now as the Governors will converge to proffer enduring solutions for the commission to fly to greater heights.
Ambassador Keshi said that the meeting will be graced by the currently elected Governors of Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Delta States along with their Commissioners for Economic Development and Planning.
The Governors are expected to discuss among other issues the quick revival and strengthening of the long moribund commission and the region’s aspiration for collective regional socio-economic development cum integration. Vividly, observers of the challenges bedeviling the BRACED Commission most of whom craved indulgence not to have their names in the media. Recall that the idea of the BRACE COMMISSION was muted in 2009 during an economic summit held in Calabar Cross River State. The brace commission was set up, and created, to drive the region’s aspiration for a collective regional sustainable economy, strong enough to provide employment and prosperity for the people of the region and one that is globally competitive. The meeting will also discuss issues on the security of the region and how to effectively entrench its knowledge-sharing and peer review mechanism.
Nevertheless, Regional security will be a keynote issue during the meeting because recently, the South-South region has had security challenges such as Fulani herdsmen raping women who went to their farms in the communities. When Fulani herdsmen marauding cows that eat up their farm products. Kidnapping and Armed robbers have since increased unabated in the oil and gas-rich region. The eager onlookers and citizens of the oil and gas-rich region are happy that something serious will come out of the meeting.
In his reaction, Dr Piriye Kiyaramo, Governor Diri’s SSA On Tourism, has stressed the need for a regional tourism development agenda for cooperation and integration to drive the development of the sector in the region.
Speaking with Newsmen in Yenagoa, on Tuesday, Dr Kiyaramo, described regional cooperation and integration as a process by which countries or states come together to coordinate, collaborate and invest in joint ventures to strengthen their economies to mitigate shared risks and prevent conflicts to assist neighbouring states in fragile situation and to preserve common resources.
He maintained that the cooperation and integration among the South-South states of Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta, would go a long way in helping them to overcome seeming divisions that will rather impede the flow of goods, services, capital people and ideas adding that such political interferences were constraints to economic growth, especially in developing countries.
The BTPDI board chairman, who expressed concern over the seeming inactivity of the BRACED commission, was an initiative of South-South governors in 2009 for joint development of the region. He regretted that the mission and vision of the commission had remained elusive, as the Governors seemingly preferred to go solo in developing their respective states to the detriment of regional integration and cooperation. Meanwhile, he commended the Director General BRACED commission, Ambassador Joe Keshi, for his untiring efforts towards actualising the vision and mission of the regional body despite the numerous challenges. Dr Kiyaramo expressed hope that with the coming on board of Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, as the next Chairman, he may spring surprises in rejuvenating the body with a view of jump-starting the commission to actualise its objective.
He further, stressed that the BRACED Tourism Promotion and Development initiative which he is the facilitator is focused on the promotion of tourism through organised tours, seminars, symposia, conferences and capacity development training, for tourism practitioners and stakeholders using the platform South-South Tourism Round table discussions and programs, as well as identify and honour outstanding tourism promoters in the region with awards of excellence to encourage them.
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