The Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions,Sen. Adetokunbo Abiru (APC-Lagos)has emerged Chairman, Southern Senators’ Forum (SSF).
Abiru took over from Senate leader,Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele,(APC-Ekiti),who had been the leader of the forum since the ninth Assembly. The News Agency of Nigeria.(NAN) reports that Abiru emerged after a meeting of South East,South West and South South senators in Abuja.Speaking at a news conference after his emergence in Abuja on Wednesday , Abiru said the SSF would partner the Northern Senators’ Forum (NSF)to move the country forward.“This forum,Southern Senators Forum, is to champion the course of Nigeria and Nigerians.“We have our Northern brothers with the Northern Senators Forum,we will work together with the Northern Senators Forum to move the country forward,” Abiru said.According to him, the SSF will roll out its plans for the betterment of the region and Nigeria.” We will work out our plans,the last leadership has transferred power to us,we have been running the forum as if we don’t exist.“The present leader of the Senate was the leader of the Southern Senators’ Forum,he was too engaged on other issues ,but we now have new leadership which is headed by me,” Abiru said.NAN reports that Sen.Victor Umeh (LP- Anambra),is the Vice Chairman of the forum, while Sen.Mpigi Barinada (PDP-Rivers South) is the Secretary of the forum.The Public Relations Officer is Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC-Cross River),while Sen. Kenneth Eze (APC – Ebonyi) is the treasurer of the forum