The Senator representing Lagos East senatorial district, and Chairman, Senate committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Sen. Tokunbo Abiru, on Wednesday emerged as the Chairman, Southern Senators’ Forum.
Abiru, who took over from Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central) , was unanimously elected by the 54 Senators from the 17 Southern states.
Six other executives also elected to steer the affairs of the Southern Senators Forum were; Vice Chairman, Senator Victor Umeh ( Labour Party , Anambra Central) , Secretary , Senator Mpigi Barinada ( PDP Rivers South East) , Publicity Secretary, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong ( APC Cross River North ) and Treasurer , Senator Kenneth Eze ( APC Ebonyi Central).
In his acceptance speech, Abiru said that the forum would serve as a veritable platform for discussing , analysing and dissecting national issues by Southern Senators for the sole purpose of moving Nigeria forward .
He added that the forum would partner with 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 map out our plans and work on them for the betterment of Nigeria and Nigerians generally .
“Before today , we have been running the forum in this 10th Senate as if we don’t exist but now that the last leadership has transferred power to us., the forum would be made vibrant “, he said
