THE MEETING AND COMMUNIQUE OF GOVERNORS OF THE SOUTHERN REGION..... A Welcomed Development But A Move Taken Late. By Comrade Rufus Akpobome Ibebe

"The coming together of the Southern Governors; all 17 of them, in my state capital and all they could do was "declare a mere ban on grazing in our land, smacks of nothing but a slap on our collective sensibilities as a people"..... Ibebe Rufus.

The just concluded meeting of Governor's of the Southern States Nigeria, held in Asaba, the Delta State capital to discuss pressing and very pertinent issues which also includes the ban of open grazing across States in the Southern axis of the country, has continued to generate controversies.

Rufus Akpobome Ibebe, a political activist, youth leader and concerned stakeholder in the progress and development of Delta State, has made his views on the outcome of the meeting and its communique issued at the conclusion of the meeting.

According to Comrade Rufus Ibebe, "the coming together of the Southern Governors; all 17 of them, in my state capital and all they could do was "declare a mere ban on grazing in our land, smacks of nothing but a slap on our collective sensibilities as a people".

"Is it today that they have been banning cow grazing in their states? Why has there be continous GRAZING by cows after those bans? How many people have they arrested and prosecuted for violating declarations of the Governors like this one, in time past? What happens if their declaration of NO COW GRAZING in the land is not obeyed?

"It is disturbing, however, that they have also stated things we already know like; THERE IS INSECURITY IN THE LAND, THERE IS NEED FOR CREATION OF MORE SEA PORTS SO AS NOT TO OVER WHELM THE ONLY WORKING ONE IN LAGOS STATE, THERE IS NEED FOR RESTRUCTURING, THERE IS NEED FOR THE SOUTHERN STATES TO WORK TOGETHER AND OTHER THINGS THAT EVERYONE IN THE STREET KNOW ALREADY. 

"They stated what we already know as the problems without giving solutions to the problems facing us", he pondered.

"To me, they should not have met in the first place if this is what they know that they were going to discuss, because,to  me, they have said nothing new and that communique issued would not change things", Ibebe stated.

Known for speaking truth to political leaders, Ibebe stressed that the communique issued only said what we knew as the problem without proving practical solutions.

"The only perceived solution they gave, a ban on grazing won't work because our governors lack the powers to implement this resolution of theirs".

 "Our Governors would not be able to do anything if those going about with their cows to graze on our land decide not to stop".

He noted that the governors would only gather again and, issue Communique  because, they lack the power to implement their resolutions for reasons best known to them.

"I expected more from a gathering that has all the southern states governor than what I read in that communique. They should have done better", Ibebe stated.