The Southern Governors’ Forum, is planning the generation of 90,000 MW of electricity to cater for the power needs of 90 million residents of the region.
The forum, the umbrella body for 17 governors from the three geo-political zones of South-West, South-East and South-South, in a communique issued at the end of their meeting held on Monday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital and made available to journalists on Thursday said it is embarking on this project using the rule of thumb of 1,000 MW per 1 million population to arrive at its 90,000MW target.
The body urged member states to actualize advantage of the recent constitutional amendment that now allows states to regulate, generate, transmit and distribute electricity while also considering renewable sources of energy to bring the dream.
This is just as the governors have also called for the consideration of the cost of living and ability of each state to pay the new minimum wage and therefore beckoned on the Federal Government to allow each state to negotiate the new minimum wage with the labour unions.
The communique was signed by all the 17 southern governors namely, the newly elected Chairman of the Forum, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Vice Chairman of the group and governor of Anambra State, Prof Charles Soludo, Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, Sen Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, Abiodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State, Duoye Diri of Bayelsa, Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, and Pastor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, Gov Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State.
Others are Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, Lucky Ayedatiwa of Ondo State, Peter Mbah of Enugu, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, Gov Bassey Otu of Cross Rivers and Dr Alex Otti of Abia State.
In the 16 points communique, the forum called for strengthening of fiscal federalism and devolution of powers and showed concern over current practices where mineral licences are issued and explorations undertaken without recourse to State governments.
They opined that issuing mineral licences without carrying the states along have resulted in criminal activities, attendant negative environmental impact, ecological degradation, and with no remediation commitment or revenue accruing to the States or the Federal Government.
They pushed that being the economic and industrial region of the country, there was need to address the inadequate power supply in the region by taking advantage of the recent constitutional amendment that now allows States to regulate, generate, transmit and distribute electricity whilst also considering optional sources like renewables.
The governors also confirmed their resolve to aggressively embark on energy transition plan from fossil fuels (petrol and diesel) to cleaner energy and specifically CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) and ultimately EV’s (Electric Vehicles) to help reduce the cost of transportation, which would lower the cost of food, goods and services of the citizens and residents.
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