Sunday Aborisade in. Abuja
The 51 senators from the 17 states in southern Nigeria, yesterday, met for the first time since the 10th National Assembly was inaugurated nine months ago, and elected Senator Adetokunbo Abiru, a member of the All Progressives Congress, representing Lagos East Senatorial District, as their chairman.
Other members of the forum who emerged as officers were Senator Victor Umeh (Labour Party, Anambra Central) as Vice Chairman and Senator Mpigi Barinada (PDP Rivers South East) as Secretary.
Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC Cross River North) as Publicity Secretary and Senator Kenneth Eze (APC Ebonyi Central) as Treasurer.
Addressing journalists shortly before the announcement of the new officers, Leader of the Senate, who was the Chairman of the forum in the 9th Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC Ekiti Central), said like the Northern Senators Forum, the group has been in existence since the 9th Senate.
Bamidele said his current position as leader of the 10th Senate, prevented him from providing the required leadership, which necessitated a change of leadership that took place at meeting.
“What is happening here today is not new as both the Southern and Northern Senators’ fora existed even before this 10th Senate.
“At this meeting of the Southern Senators, new executive members will be announced to steer the affairs of the forum. “The new Chairman as unanimously agreed by Southern Senators is Senator Adetokunbo Abiru ( APC Lagos East),” he said.
Accepting his appointment as the new leader of the forum, Abiru said the forum would serve as veritable platform for discussing, analysing and dissecting national issues by southern senators for the purpose of moving Nigeria forward.
He added that they would partner the Northern Senators forum to move the country forward.
“This forum, the 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.
“We will swing into action and roll out our plans for the betterment of the region and Nigeria. We will mapped out our our plans and work on them for the betterment of Nigeria and Nigerians generally, Abiru said.
