In their resolve to restore the economic and political hegemony of the zone, the South West leaders, few days ago organized a legislative summit.

Though, the summit which was aimed at economic integration of the zone has come and gone, the dust it generated is yet to settle.

THIS IS THE NEW DAWN: From left: Gov. Kayode Fayemi, Gov. Rauf Aregbesola, Gov. Abiola Ajimobi, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Mr. Fola Adeola, Founder, Fate Foundation and Chairman of occasion, Chief Bisi Akande, National Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria, Gov. Ibikunle Amosun and Gov. Babatunde Fashola, chief host, at the event. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

As some leaders who have sympathy for the vision of  the Action Congress of Nigeria chieftains thumbed up for them, others who are not in the same political camp dismissed it as a mere waste of time.

They argued that the ACN leaders could never represent the zone, saying their thinking would soon fizzle away like a soap bubble.  Considering the implementation of the resolutions, observers reasoned that legislative hindrance is likely to thwart the dream as some of the resolutions, though they appear on the surface as commendable, may fan the ember of disunity and corporate existence of the country.

Just some weeks after the summit, the Minority leader in the Oyo State House of Assembly, Mr. Rafiu Adekunle punctured the views of the leaders saying they did not represent the zone as claimed. He asked if other political parties were found there except members of the Action Congress of Nigeria.

The resolutions of the leaders may be hindered by legislative bottlenecks. Making others especially the Peoples Democratic Party members to share the vision would be an herculean task.

In attendance at the summit were the National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Chief Bisi Akande, General Adeyinka Adebayo(rtd), the former governor of the old Western Region, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, former Governor of Ogun State, Governors of Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Dr. Kayode Fayemi respectively, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana who was represented by Osi Olubadan, High Chief Lekan Balogun, former Governor of Ekiti, Otunba Niyi Adebayo. Also in attendance were Senators, past and present, honourable members of the House of Representatives and their counterparts from other state Houses of Assembly.

In his own contribution at the summit, Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo urged the leaders to come out with suggestions that would restore the lost glory of the zone.

The former Governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Ososba in his keynote address faulted the federalism which is being practiced in the country.

“Our country is at a crossroads. And the problem is a troubled federal system that rather runs like a unitary one. So, instead of different parts of the country and component parts of the federation to maximise their own resources for own growth and development, a fat centre sits on these huge resources and delivers general poverty, instead of prosperity”.

He disagreed with President Goodluck Jonathan that those who occupy the high echelons of his government are unique specimens. To him, the primary qualification for inclusion in his government is to turn off your mind and harden your heart.

“Only when devoid of common sense and the decency and compassion of a normal human being are you deemed as qualified for top post to exercise cruel dominion over 150 million people who are praying for the opposite of the cold governance you force down their throats, ” he said.

Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, described former Western region as the proverbial fruits in a pod of walnut, scattered like an island unto one another while trapped inside one major encasement insisting that they must break the walls and relate with one another as the brothers and sisters.

His Osun State counterpart, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, in his characteristic manner  enlivened the Banquet Hall, Premier Hotel as he spoke with vigour and zeal.

For the people to be knitted together economically, he canvassed a progressive political platform noting that God is on the side of the region now as it is largely being governed by progressives.

He said it would have been cost effective if the entire South West had one Great Western University operating a collegiate system, with each state having a college and each college graduating at least 4000 students every year.

Another speaker at the summit, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin who represents Oyo South Senatorial District shared his opinion while delivering a lecture entitled, legislative roles in effective implementation of the integration agenda.

Lanlehin said having regard to the political reality of the country now, federalism is the way to keep the country together and regional integration is the way to go if federalism must be strengthened and not undermined.

He considered as wasteful the practice of bicameralism which he said, its disadvantages overshadow its usefulness.

At the end of the summit, a 27-paragraph communiqué was issued explaining that Nigerians should not misconstrued the motive of the summit.

On the political autonomy they want for the zone, they said it did not translate into secession but to strengthen the zone.

The leaders enjoined South West members in the National Assembly to network and lobby, then sell regional federalism among their peers from other parts of the country, to demonstrate its mutual benefits to all; and as a better alternative to the present failing federal arrangement.

Other resolutions also said South West legislators in the National Assembly must lobby their colleagues, across party lines, for the repeal of anti-federal laws inenergy/power, mining and minerals. If regional federalism must deliver the goods, states constituting the regions must have legal backing to prospect economic activities in such areas as mining and minerals, railway, aviation and other strategic areas like energy/power in which the present laws give the Federal Government absolute or near-absolute monopolies.

In the area of security, the South West legislators in the National Assembly must lobby their colleagues to press for constitutional amendments to establish State Police.

“ In the envisaged regions themselves, State Houses of Assembly are very crucial to making such strong legislative frameworks. For this task, the South West legislatures would require sound legal advice. In the 1999 Constitution, even as amended, there are strong legal impediments to regionalisation as a panacea to save Nigeria’s failing federalism. However, the South West states can work around these impediments to jump-start the process, pending the requisite constitutional amendments” they said.

To prevent Yoruba language from going into extinction, the summit called for all legislatures in the South West to conduct proceedings in Yoruba for at least a day in the week and that the language be made a prerequisite for admission into tertiary institutions in the South West from 2015.

To deepen good governance and best global practices in public sector management, the regional executives and legislatures must subject themselves to institutional peer review.

As a result, the party chieftains noted that South West states and Edo can start with close collaboration and cooperation in agriculture, with each state concentrating on areas in which it has core competence and comparative advantage.

On education, the South West states, they said, can start with integrating their state universities into a better funded South West University, along the model of the University of Cairo, or even the multi-campus University of California.

State universities, they advised, should be turned into colleges offering specialised disciplines. “Aside, the region should urgently consider setting up a University of Native Medicine to maximise the economic use of Yoruba flora and fauna, particularly in processing them for drugs to curtail killer diseases like cancer.

Still on education, the summit resolved that the region declare a state of emergency in education to restore effective and qualitative basic education. There should also be a revamping of vocational and vocational technical education to equip youths for self-employment. On transpor-tation, the summit resolved that the South West state government should approach the federal government for the take-over of federal roads in the area, as a cheaper alternative to building a new network of roads.

The summit also agreed to promote cultural integration in the form of regional cultural festival to further propagate Yoruba traditions, mores and norms and that culture should be used to promote tourism in the region, even as each part of the region can invest in specific tourism products to create gainful employment for our teeming youth.

“The region should save cost by integrating manpower training and development. For instance, it suggested that Lagos State serve as specialist centre for training regional civil servants, There is urgent need for a clearing house for regionalisation; and to gauge specific areas in its progress and implementation”.

Osun State, according to them, has shown leadership by establishing a Ministry of Regional Integration and this should be replicated in other South West states.

Without prejudice to the anthems of other South West states, the gathering resolved to adopt the State of Osun Anthem as the South West Regional Anthem adding that the anthem was composed by our late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, stressing that the anthem captures the correct spirit and sentiment behind integration for regional development and greatness.

In the same token and for the same reason, the crest of the State of Osun should be adopted as the regional logo.