Govs Unite Against ISWAP, High Cost Of Food Items

State governors in the six south west states have rolled out plans to tackle security threats posed by the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP to the zone, according to the Chairman of the South West Governors’ Forum,  SWGF Babajide Sanwolu who doubles as the governor of Lagos state.

Governor Sanwo Olu announced on Thursday, after a meeting attended by all the six governors in the zone,  the  decision by the governors to collaborate to root out the insecurity posed by the Islamic terrorist group and others criminals who seek to make the zone ungovernable.

During the four hours meeting which held at the Lagos House in Marina, the governors also agreed to tackle the problem of food inflation with the intention to bringing down the high cost of food items in the zone, which say is artificial.

They blame some unscrupulous middlemen for deliberately hiking the price of food items, to tackle the problem, the governors said they have agreed to set up a State Food Inflation Joint Monitoring Team and an Aggregation Centre/Food Hubs across the zone.

Apart from Sanwo olu , other gtovernors present at the meeting include: Seyi Makinde of Oyo state, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, Ademola Adeleke of Osun , Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo and Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti state.

According to the Chairman of SWGF, who read the 11 point communique the governors agreed to appoint special advisors on security in each state and establish a joint surveillance monitoring team which will oversee and coordinate security efforts across the zone.

The governors called for synergy among various security agencies, such as the Police, DSS among others to further nail the problem, urging the people to also be vigilant as the issue of security should be tackle collectively.

SanwoOlu said, “The Forum agreed to establish a Joint Surveillance Monitoring Team to oversee and coordinate security efforts across the South West region.

“As part of this resolution, the Forum has committed to deploying advanced technology, including aerial surveillance systems, to enhance security operations.

“Additionally, the Forum resolved that its Special Advisers on Security should collaborate on intelligence gathering and sharing between State security agencies, local security networks, and federal law enforcement authorities among South-West States.”

The magazine reports that the threat posed by the ISAWP to the region’s security became heightened last month after Governor Makinde said ISWAP terrorists had set up camps at Fashola, a community in the state.