In a moment of national significance and regional upliftment, public affairs analyst and development advocate, Mr. Simon Utsu, has extended his hearty commendation to the Federal Government on the historic appointment of Ms. Usoro Akpabio as the inaugural Managing Director of the newly constituted South South Development Commission (SSDC).
Describing the appointment as both timely and judicious, Mr. Utsu hailed Ms. Akpabio as the quintessential “square peg in a square hole”, noting that her emergence heralds a new dawn of visionary leadership for the South-South region, long bedevilled by infrastructural decay and underdevelopment in spite of its oil wealth.
“I have known Ms. Usoro Akpabio for a while now, and I must say without equivocation that this appointment is richly deserved. She brings to the saddle a rare blend of technical competence, political dexterity and deep-rooted understanding of the oil and gas ecosystem that defines much of the South-South’s socio-economic landscape,” Utsu stated.
He further observed that Akpabio’s appointment represents a strategic step towards correcting the glaring gender disparity that has characterised federal appointments in recent times. “It is refreshing to see a woman of proven capacity and grit ascend to such a pivotal office. I have long decried the systemic exclusion of women in critical governance spaces, and this move is a welcome deviation from that pattern.”
Quoting from the Book of Proverbs, Utsu likened Akpabio to “a woman of noble character, worth far more than rubies” (Proverbs 31:10), adding that her leadership has the potential to birth transformative change and leave an indelible legacy in the region. “She is not only capable; she is called for such a time as this,” he asserted, invoking Esther 4:14 to underscore the providential nature of her emergence.
With the daunting responsibility of steering the newly minted commission, Utsu expressed confidence that Akpabio would exceed expectations, navigating the political cross-currents and complex developmental terrain of the region with the grace and grit of a seasoned trailblazer.
“Madam, I wish you the very best as you mount this historic saddle. May your tenure be marked by integrity, innovation and impact. May your leadership bring succour to the Niger Delta people and restore hope to communities that have long waited for the dividends of development,” he prayed.
With Ms. Usoro Akpabio now at the helm, hopes are high that the SSDC will depart from the inertia of past regional interventions and serve as a beacon of purposeful development for the South-South geopolitical zone.
