The Chairman, Senate committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions , Distinguished Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru, FCA (Lagos East), has emerged as the Chairman, Southern Senators’ Forum. 54 Senators from the 17 Southern states unanimously elected Senator Abiru as their Chairman.
Senator Abiru, an accomplished economist and accountant, had a stellar career in banking, ultimately reaching the pinnacle of his profession as the Managing Director of Polaris Bank, before he retired in 2020, and later joined the race for the Lagos East by-election contest. He was the Chairman of the standing Committee on Industries in the 9th Senate.
Six other Executives were also elected to steer the affairs of the Southern Senators Forum. The immediate past Chairman of the Forum, who is also the Leader of the 10th Senate, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele(Ekiti Central), in his remarks said:” The new Chairman as unanimously agreed by Southern Senators is Senator Adetokunbo Abiru ( APC Lagos East) , 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) .
Accepting his appointment as the new leader of the forum , Senator Abiru in his remarks said 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 they will 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 .
