The Senate leadership has clarified information on the recent nomination of Ms. Usoro Akpabio as the Managing Director of the South South Development Commission (SSDC) by President Bola Tinubu.
The clarification follows insinuations in some section of the media that Ms. Usoro Akpabio is the daughter of the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
In an interview granted the Punch newspaper, the Senate Spokesman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu said that “The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, is entirely different from Usoro Akpabio, the MD of the South-South Development Commission. Culturally, people may have similar names, but that doesn’t mean they are related.”
Senator Adaramodu explained that it was just a conincidence that both the President of the Senate and the MD-designate bear the same surname, reiterating that President Bola Tinubu makes his appointments based on merit and competence.
According to him, “this appointment was based on merit and was made by the President. She is not in any way connected to the former governor of Akwa Ibom.
“Of course, that doesn’t mean a qualified member of the Senate President’s family couldn’t be appointed. But in this particular case, there is no relationship whatsoever.”
President Tinubu last week nominated Ms. Usoro Akpabio alongside former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (Board Chairman) and 16 others as management team of the newly created SSDC.
The nominees are expected to be confirmed by the Senate this week.