New Nigerian Newspapers Online Edition

STATE governors meeting in Lagos at the weekend identified agricultural promotion and security as priorities that required urgent collaboration with the Federal Government and the media. In an interactive session with media executives, the governors under the aegis of an informal forum, pledged to embark on massive agricultural activities to address the food crisis in the country.

Governors Bukola Saraki of Kwara, Babatunde Fashola of Lagos and Ikedi Ohakim of Imo hosted the interactive session at the Lagoon Restaurant, Victoria Island.

Saraki, the Chairman of the forum, said the governors would pursue agriculture with vigour, adding that each of the governors would identify areas that would generate revenue.

"The food crisis is a blessing in disguise to the nation, because it will propel people to embark on commercial farming on large scale on the vast arable lands in the country," he said.

Fashola remarked that agriculture remained the key to the country's industrialisation, urging Nigerian to embrace farming.

"Lagos State has begun to focus more on marine and aquatic agriculture because of its aquatic environment," Fashola said.

Ohakim, on his part, noted that the security was central to the nation's governance and development, saying that the governors had spent 40 billion Naira on security matters. "Governors are still funding security agencies in their respective states. We are not folding our arms as it is not the responsibility of the Federal Government alone.

"We promise to do more in partnership with the Federal Government. It is under a peaceful atmosphere, where there is security to lives and property, that we can attract foreign investors," he added.

The governors implored the media to partner with the governors' forum to facilitate the nation's development.

They said journalists had a stake in the Nigerian project and must be willing to collaborate with public office holders in projecting a good image for Nigeria and its component states. They said negative reports about Nigeria or any of its states could discourage foreign investors.

"Nigeria lost to Sierra Leone an investment that would have fetched 40,000 Nigerians jobs, due to negative media reports," Ohakim said. He, however, called for constructive criticisms of governments' programmes and policies, saying that they would aid development.