The Forum of Southern Nigeria Governors has begun steps to integrate the three regional security groups in the country’s southern regions.

They also expressed their belief that the collection of Value Added Tax, or VAT, is a state government responsibility, and urged states to use the powers of their state legislatures and their National Assembly Representatives to push for fiscal federalism to be included in the ongoing constitutional amendment.

The resolutions were passed by the Southern Governors at the end of their meeting on Thursday at the Enugu State Government House.

Rotimi Akeredolu, the chairman of the forum and the governor of Ondo State, read the statement, saying the forum evaluated the state of the nation and the progress of implementing previous decisions and expressed pleasure with the rate at which states in Southern Nigeria were enacting or amending anti-open grazing laws.

The cooperation, according to Akeredolu, was in line with the consistent pattern and goal of southern governors, and he urged states that had not to enact the law to do so quickly.

The conference, according to Akeredolu, “encouraged the full operationalization of already agreed regional security outfits; which would meet, share intelligence and collaborate, to ensure the security and safety of the region.

“Reaffirmed its earlier commitment to Structural and fiscal federalism as resolved at the inaugural meeting of the
Forum held on Tuesday, 11th May 2021 at Asaba, Delta state and emphasized the need for the Southern States to leverage the legislative competence of their respective State Houses of Assembly as well as representation in the National assembly to pursue its inclusion in the Nigeran constitution through the ongoing constitutional amendment.”

The forum further decided that, in light of the foregoing, it would support the argument that the collection of VAT comes under the jurisdiction of the states.

They were also pleased with the way the Nigerian Governors’ Forum handled problems like the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and ownership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

They reaffirmed their former view that the next President of Nigeria must come from the south, in accordance with the principles of equity, justice, and fairness in Nigerian politics.

They selected Rivers State to host the Southern Governors’ Forum summit in November 2021.