Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has said his administration and that of the Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, would engage in a peer-review meeting in 2025 with a view to collaborating on areas critical to residents of both states.
Makinde said this while receiving Abiodun in Ibadan, on Monday, noting that the collaboration would see the two states exploring opportunities in the agriculture sector, especially the tractorisation policy and other areas.
He appreciated Governor Abiodun, chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum, who said he visited to condole with the Oyo State government over the deaths of 35 children in a stampede at a private Children Christmas Funfair event in Ibadan.
Makinde 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.
Governor Abiodun described the event that led to the deaths of innocent children as a good initiative that turned bad.
He advised non-governmental organisations to always work with the government for proper planning when organising such charity programmes.
Governor Abiodun prayed for the repose of the souls of the children, their bereaved parents and the people of Oyo State.
“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, 18 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,” Governor Dapo Abiodun stated in a release by Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Special Adviser (Media) to Oyo State Governor.
