The Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Mr Tokunbo Talabi had tasked his counterparts from the Southwest states to evolve short and long term strategies that will propel the next level of development in the region.
Talabi stated this while welcoming his counterparts from the Southwest states to Ogun State at the 2nd Edition of the Secretaries to State Governments (SSGS) Forum held in Abeokuta saying “on behalf of the Executive Governor of Ogun State, His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun, the Government and the entire good people of the Gateway State, I happily welcome you all to the Second Meeting of the Southwest Secretaries to the State Governments.
Talabi said he recalled that the Maiden Edition was held in Lagos on 2nd December, 2021 during which Ogun State volunteered to hold the next edition of the meeting based on the far reaching benefits derivable by the Southwest States.
The Ogun SSG affirmed that the last meeting was indeed an eye-opener on the dire need for collaboration, cooperation and
knowledge sharing among the Southwest States especially on Cabinet Affairs urging his colleagues to use the occasion not only in mapping out short and long term strategies but also the means of implementing those strategies towards moving the region ahead.
. I am sure that other States would have implemented one item or the other from the decisions of our last meeting.
One of the Resource Persons at the event who is from the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Professor Tunji Olaopa speaking on the Topic; The Nigeria State, Public Policy Implementation and the challenge of implementation identified lack of national ideological framework for understanding development as a major bane to engendering truly impactful developmental initiatives by governments at various levels.
Professor Olaopa posited that to overcome project traps governments in the Southwest must have the political will and leadership sophistication that harness the best of policy intelligence and expertise, channel funds and resources based technical-rationale parameters.
He also tasked Southwest states on deployment of required, smart structures and methods and ensure recruitment of personnel to achieve intelligent admixture that will facilitate efficient service delivery in the public sector.