Governors of the South-south geo-political zone have concluded plans to hold a summit on the declining quality of education in the zone.
?The governors revealed their intention on Saturday in Yenagoa, in a communiqué availed newsmen by ?the chairman, South South Governors’ Forum, Gov. Liyel Imoke of Cross River State, at the end of the second ordinary session of the Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta (BRACED) commission.
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The commission headed by Amb. Joe Keshi, was set up to address the developmental challenges confronting the states in the zone.?“We expressed deep concern at the state of education in our zone and the need to reverse the trend by building the required human capital for sustainable development’’.
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The communique also noted that there was urgent need for the commission to channel its resources towards the development of large-scale agriculture “as a post-oil strategy to ensure food security, job creation and sustainable development”.?It also said that the commission had been directed to identify three or four crops that the region could invest in.
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The communique said that the meeting deliberated on issues revolving around environmental challenges facing the zone, and added that the governors had directed the commission to explore the possibility of undertaking a baseline study on oil pollution in the region.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the forum had agreed to work on the enactment of a law to protect the environment.
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“The law, if enacted, would also deal with the issues of illegal refineries which contribute significantly to environmental pollution and degradation”.?The communique said that the forum re-affirmed its commitment towards the construction of the Lagos-Calabar railway, as well as the development of road networks in the region.
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The meeting was attended by the Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Bayelsa’s Timipre Sylva, Delta’s Emmanuel Uduaghan and ?Liyel Imoke of Cross River State.
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