AGAIN, Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade is absent as governors from the 17 southern states in Nigeria meet in Lagos.
The southern governors are currently meeting at Alausa, Lagos State, as a follow-up to an earlier meeting held on May 11.
Although they belonged to different political parties, the southern governors met in Asaba, Delta State, over the security situation in the country and other regional affairs.
During the first meeting, key decisions were taken concerning the security and welfare of the Southern states, but Ayade did not attend.
Again, on Monday, the Cross River State governor failed to attend the meeting or send a representative.
Governors present at the meeting include Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).
Others are Emmanuel Udom (Akwa Ibom) and Diri Duoye (Bayelsa).
Governors of Edo, Imo, Anambra, Ebonyi and Abia states who were absent at the meeting sent their respective representatives.
This is the second time the southern governors would meet in fewer than two months over the state of the nation.
During the first meeting held at Asaba, Delta State, the governors resolved to ban open grazing in all the southern states.
They also resolved to advise the Nigerian government to convene a national dialogue to ensure greater inclusiveness in existing governance arrangements.
The southern governors charged the Nigerian government to also review appointments into Federal Government agencies, particularly security establishments, to reflect federal character.
They also canvassed the need for the country to be “restructured to reflect true federalism, leading to state policing and a change in the revenue allocation formula of the nation.”
The governors further recommended the establishment of ports in other states in order to address congestion at the Apapa port in Lagos State.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94