- By: Eugene Upah
The Nigerian Senate has officially confirmed the nominations for the board of the South-South Development Commission (SSDC), paving the way for the commission to commence its operations optimally.
This confirmation follows a thorough screening process by the Senate Committee on SSDC, which reported no adverse security reports or petitions against the nominees.
Leading the new board are the Rt. Hon. Chibudom Nwuche as Chairman, Engineer Usoro Akpabio as Managing Director and a composition of Directors. Ambassador Soni Abang is the Executive Director of Finance.
In addition to these key appointments, 15 other nominees were confirmed as board members, representing various states and geopolitical zones: Rt. Hon. Larry Odey (Cross River), Charles Zuofa (Bayelsa), Nkereuwem Ebong (Akwa Ibom), Chika Chinedu (Rivers), Femi Oise (Edo), Charles Enukhowhate (Delta),Tabitha Sallah (North-east), Yusuf Amao (North-central), Joseph Mmamal (South-east), Bukonola Braimoh (South-west).
According to National Assembly reportage, the Senate also confirmed several executive directors for various portfolios: Marcus Eji (Rivers) – Projects, Aganaba Steven (Bayelsa) – Social and Human Capital Development, Timi Ayibatonye (Delta) – Corporate Services, Joseph Ugheoke (Edo) – Commercial and Environmental Development. Larry Odey was confirmed in an executive director role in addition to his state representative position.
Senator Kenbowei Friday, Chairman of the Committee on SSDC presented the report, affirming that all confirmed nominees possess the ‘sound academic qualification, work experiences, competencies and integrity’ required for their roles. He emphasized that the nominees demonstrated a clear understanding of the commission’s mandate during their screening.
However, one nominee, Tijani Laura, nominated to represent the North-west, was not confirmed. Senator Friday explained that Laura neither submitted the required documents for vetting nor appeared in person before the committee for screening. The Senate indicated it would provide an opportunity for the nominee to present himself for screening at a later date.
