Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has announced plans for a peer-review meeting with Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, in the New Year.
The meeting aims to foster collaboration on issues critical to residents of both states.
Makinde disclosed this on Monday while receiving Governor Abiodun in Ibadan. He noted that the partnership would focus on opportunities in the agriculture sector, particularly the tractorisation policy, as well as other areas of mutual benefit.
The Oyo governor also expressed gratitude to Abiodun, who chairs the Southwest Governors’ Forum, for visiting to condole with the state over the tragic deaths of 35 children during a stampede at a private funfair in Ibadan.
He said: “Your Excellency, thank you so much for the visit. We appreciate you being with us at this difficult period.
“My brother’s visit presented an opportunity to also rub minds. We were talking about tractorisation and the strategy they have adopted in Ogun State as well as what we are doing here.
“We agreed that we will have a peer-review visit in the New Year so that we can leverage the good things happening there and they can also leverage the good things happening here”.
Speaking earlier, the Ogun State governor expressed the condolences of the people of the state and the Southern Governors’ Forum to Governor Makinde over the unfortunate incident.
He described the event that led to the deaths of innocent children as a good initiative that turned bad, advising non-governmental organisations (NGO) that have such initiatives to always work with the government for proper planning when organising such charity programmes.
Abiodun prayed for the repose of the souls of the children, who lost their lives, their bereaved parents and the people of Oyo State.
He said: “I am here on behalf of myself, family, the entire people of Ogun State and the entire Southern Governors’ Forum of Nigeria.
“We have come to commiserate with the governor and the entire people of Oyo State on the very unfortunate incident that happened on Wednesday 18th of December, 2024, where a good initiative turned sour.
“We all woke up to the news the following day and I decided to come on behalf of all of us and condole with the governor and the people as well as the government of Oyo State.
“The entire Southern governors are pained by this occurrence. In Ogun State, we believe anything that affects Oyo State affects us as well. Our prayer is that we won’t witness such an occurrence again.
“We will continue to remember all those affected in our prayers”.
