SPEAKERS of States Houses of Assembly in the South West have advanced the need for establishment of ministry of regional integration to see to interfacing across states of the region.
The legislative heads that converged on Ibadan, on Tuesday, also harped on the imperativeness of uniformity in legislative processes in the South West Houses of Assembly, in terms of common front in bills processing, plenary sessions and adopting uniform standing rules.
Other consensus of the meeting with the theme: “Effective Legislative Governance and Service Delivery Reforms in the South West Region,” was the need for a viable South West legislative forum to exchange ideas, and a common legislative framework for production of cocoa and other heritage farm production in the South West.
The event was attended by Speaker, Oyo Assembly, Honourable Micheal Adeyemo his Osun counterpart, Honourable Najeem Salam; former Speaker, Ekiti Assembly, Honourable Albert Omirin; former member of the House of Representatives, Wale Okediran; DG DAWN Commission, Mr Dipo Famakinwa; Regional Coordinator, DFID, Mr David Ukaguwu, members of houses of assembly in the region.
In his remarks, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state, represented by Secretary to the state government, Mr Olalekan Alli, underscored the importance of synergy between the executive and legislative armtowars ensuring good governance.
Oyo speaker who is Vice Chairman, South West Conference of Speakers, Honourable Micheal Adeyemo, decried constitutional bottlenecks in achieving the needed autonomy of the legislature.
He further noted the imperativeness of uniform rules, procedures and practices across the Houses of Assembly in the region.
Director General, DAWN Commission, Mr Dipo Famakinwa, noted the need for states of the South West to coalesce to address the region’s problems.
While noting that Lagos State was miles ahead other states of the region, Famakinwa called for inter-connected actions by states of the South West in addressing the problems of the region.
Famakinwa decried that the region boasted of largely atomised and unsustainable states with people of the region vulnerable and economically displaced.