Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday, received the governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, with the two states working to strengthen ties in the economic, agriculture and security sectors.
The two governors met behind closed doors. But Prince Abiodun, while addressing newsmen shortly after the meeting, said his discussion with his Oyo State counterpart centred on issues of mutual interests and importance, stressing how both states share strong historical, cultural and economic ties.
Recall that Governor Makinde had paid a similar visit to the Ogun State governor, where he said that the two states would embark on peer reviews, which would see them draw strengths from each other’s areas of comparative advantage.
Speaking with newsmen, Governor Abiodun said, “Ogun State proudly remembers that the Old Western Region, where Ibadan was the capital, is where it evolved from.
“So, we have ties, powerful ones at that; cultural, historical, and of course, economic ties with the people and government of Oyo State.
“Today, I have come to see my brother, His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde, to discuss such matters of mutual interest and importance.
“You can see that every day in our sub-region, we continue to host major investors. And, we are contiguous to Oyo on so many fronts.
“A time like this has presented itself for us to look at how to ensure that we strengthen that economic relationship. So, we have potential investors in the agriculture sector.
“You know we are all striving for food sovereignty and food security. And, our discussions, which the governor himself will make known to you at the appropriate time, were centred on how we can further collaborate to ensure that we eat what we grow and we grow what we eat, and that we turn our region into the breadbasket of this country.
“Oyo State is doing a lot in Fasola. We are also doing a lot in Odeda, in Imeko, in Iwano. And, those areas are border areas with Oyo State.
“So, we have come to discuss that and, of course, also the security issue as well, which is extremely important to both of us.
“You all know that security is critical and fundamental to socio-economic development.
“You know how both states and other states in the South-West have championed the issue of Amotekun, which has been very helpful in providing the required intelligence for our people and strengthening our security architecture.
“So, the issue of security was also a front-burner issue in the discussions. I am sure again, like I said, His Excellency will share with you at the appropriate time the details of our discussions.”
