The National Deputy Treasurer of the All Progressives Congress, Engr. Ben Akak, has urged the South-South Governors’ Forum to move swiftly to implement the resolutions reached at its meeting in Calabar, Cross River State.
Akak said sustained implementation of the decisions was necessary to translate the governors’ renewed commitment to regional cooperation into tangible economic and developmental gains for the six South-South states.
He made the call in a statement commending the Chairman of the Forum, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, and the host Governor of Cross River State, Bassey Otu, for bringing the governors together to deliberate on issues affecting the region.
According to him, the resolutions on regional infrastructure, rail connectivity, seaport development, industrialisation, investment mobilisation and stronger engagement with the Federal Government showed that the governors were beginning to recognise the need for coordinated action.
“I commend our governors for recognising that the future prosperity of the South-South lies in our ability to speak with one voice and pursue common economic and developmental interests.
“The Calabar meeting has provided an important platform for the region to move from fragmented efforts to coordinated action. What we need now is sustained implementation of the resolutions reached,” he said.
Akak said the region possessed significant economic potential which could be unlocked through greater cooperation among the states.
He also welcomed the governors’ plan to engage President Bola Tinubu on critical regional concerns, including infrastructure, environmental restoration and maritime development.
The APC chieftain said the proposed rehabilitation and modernisation of the Calabar, Port Harcourt and Warri seaports, alongside the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, could expand economic activities and create employment opportunities across the region.
“As a Cross Riverian, I am particularly encouraged by the renewed attention to the Calabar Port and the broader economic opportunities that regional connectivity can create for our state and our people,” he said.
Akak maintained that political cooperation among the South-South states should go beyond meetings and declarations, stressing that the region must convert its collective decisions into measurable development.
He also described the governors’ 100 per cent support for President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027 as significant, but said such political alignment should be accompanied by a sustained partnership with the Federal Government.
“Beyond elections, our responsibility is to ensure that the partnership produces tangible benefits for our people.
“The South-South must use its political strength strategically to attract investment, infrastructure, employment opportunities and sustainable development to our communities,” Akak stated.
He congratulated Governor Otu on hosting the governors’ meeting and said his emergence as the South-South Zonal Campaign Coordinator of the APC Presidential Campaign Council placed an additional responsibility on him to strengthen political cooperation and mobilisation across the region.
Akak called on political leaders, traditional rulers, civil society groups, business leaders and residents of the South-South to support the regional development agenda.
He said the region had the resources, human capital, strategic location and political relevance to become one of Nigeria’s leading economic blocs, adding that unity of purpose and political will were required to achieve the objective.
“Calabar has once again provided the platform. It is now time for the South-South to turn this renewed unity into measurable development for our people,” he added.
