Senate President Godswill Akpabio has appointed Senator Benson Friday Konbowei, representing Bayelsa Central, as the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on the South-South Development Commission.
The announcement was made during plenary at the National Assembly in Abuja. Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong (Cross River South) was named Vice Chairman of the committee, which will oversee developmental initiatives across Nigeria’s oil-rich South-South region.
Other members of the committee include Senators Onowakpo Thomas Joel, Benson Agadaga, Neda Imasuen, Allwell Onyesoh, Samson Ekong, Samaila Dahuwa Kaila, Mustapha Musa, Patrick Ndubueze, Idiat Adebule, and Mustapha Saliu.
Senator Konbowei, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), brings decades of political experience to the role.
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His political journey began in 1992 as a councillor. He later served as Chairman of Southern Ijaw Local Government Council, Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, and Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government.
Elected into the Senate in 2023, Konbowei is seen as a strategic choice for the role, given his grassroots connection and legislative experience within the South-South geopolitical zone.
The South-South Development Commission, once fully established, is expected to drive sustainable development and infrastructure renewal in the region, which has long grappled with the paradox of resource wealth and underdevelopment.
Konbowei’s appointment signals the Senate’s intent to fast-track policy frameworks and initiatives aimed at addressing the unique socio-economic challenges of the region.