By George Ozalla
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has charged the newly established South-South Development Commission (SSDC) to embark on projects that will directly transform the lives of the people and align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Akpabio made the call in Abuja when he received the board and management of the Commission led by its Chairman, Prince Chibudom Nwuche.
The Senate President said the SSDC carries a wide mandate to drive economic development across all six states of the South-South, stressing that its creation was not a political favour but a call to genuine service. He commended the National Assembly for passing the bill into law despite earlier concerns of overlap with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Akpabio assured that the legislature would ensure proper oversight and adequate funding to make the Commission deliver on its objectives. He added that the success of the SSDC would be measured by how well it addresses unemployment, infrastructure decay, and youth empowerment in the region.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Commission, Prince Nwuche, expressed appreciation to President Tinubu and the leadership of the National Assembly for their support, promising that the board would avoid past pitfalls and focus on tangible development. The Managing Director, Ms. Usoro Akpabio, also pledged that the Commission would prioritize human capital development, infrastructural renewal, and economic empowerment to reposition the South-South for sustainable growth.
The South-South Development Commission was established by an Act of the National Assembly to promote regional integration, economic development, and social stability across Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, and Rivers States.
