Samuel Vincent
Senators of Southern extraction in the 10th Senate on Wednesday revived the Southern Senators Forum (SSF).
Senator Adetokunbo Abiru who was elected chairman at the inaugural meeting said the Forum will collaborate with their northern counterpart to promote issues of national concern.
Earlier, the outgoing chairman and Leader of the Senate, Okpeyemi Bamidele while addressing the press said, the move was to show transition in the Forum.
He said “We have just rounded up the inaugural meeting of Southern Senators and one of the items on the agenda is the composition of a new leadership.
“The Southern Senators Forum has today constituted its leadership. This is the last time I will be speaking to you as the chairman of Southern Senators Forum. We have to do this to show that there is transition.
“At the end of our deliberation it was agreed that six Executive positions should stay.”
Six members were unanimously elected to pilot the affair of the Forum.
Those elected are Senator Adetokunbo Abiru (APC, Lagos East) as Chairman; Senators Victor Umeh (LP, Anambra Central) as vice chairman, and Senator Barinada Mpigi (PDP, Rivers South East) as Secretary.
Others are Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC, Cross River South) as Public Relations Officer, PRO; and Kenneth Eze (APC, Ebonyi Central) as Treasurer.
This development comes a day after an embattled former chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, Senator Abdul Ningi was suspended. Senator Adetokunbo, however silent on whether or not the development has link with the suspension of Senator Ningi. He said the Forum with prioritized the issue of security.
Ningi was suspended over for claims that denigrated the Senate. In an interview with BBC Hause, the suspended senator had claimed that 2024 budget was padded with over N3 trillion.
