South South Governors rose from a meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital at the weekend, with a plan to float an Economic Growth Council (EGC) to ensure that the roadmap for the economic integration of the region is developed and implemented.

They equally renewed their commitment to the development of the Lagos-Calabar rail link to loop through the entire region and immediately commissioned studies of the project viability for implementation under the Public, Private Partnership (PPP) model.

The forum expressed the belief that the Federal Government would put in its own counterpart fund to make it work.

To drive the implementation of the plans, theyvowed to establish a fulltime secretariat for their subsequent meetings, while threatening to withdraw from participation in the current amnesty arrangement if certain policies affecting the oil and gas industry are not adequately addressed.

These, according to them, include the relocation of Petroleum Training Institute from Warri to Kaduna, calling for the reversal of that obnoxious policy.

They carpeted the Federal Government over the lack of post amnesty plan for the region, saying that,,it is absolutely necessary for the Federal Government to present a sustainable solution to the injustice visited on the region.,,

Besides, the governors took a swipe at the Petroleum Minister (Rilwanu Lukman) over his utterances, expressing disgust at what they termed, his anti-oil producing states posturing.

Also,they picked holes in the Petroleum Industry Bill currently before the National Assembly, bemoaning the absence of any ,,specific allocation of resources, royalties or proceeds from oil exploration for the benefit of the oil producing communities and oil producing states.

These are contained in a statement endorsed by Emmanuel Uduaghan, Delta; Rotimi Amaechi, Rivers; Liyel Imoke, Cross River and Adam Oshiomhole, Edo States. Governors of Akwa Ibom, Godswill Akpabio and Bayelsa, Timipre Sylva were conspicuously absent at the forum.

They also pledged to establish a common purse, which they termed a Sovereign Fund Wealth, for the rapid development of the oil-rich but crisis-scarred region.

The fund is to be managed by an international financial institution, which would help in attracting investments into the region.