Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has commended President Bola Tinubu for establishing the South-South Development Commission (SSDC), describing the move as “historic and justice-driven.”

Otu said the creation of the Commission represents a testament to President Tinubu’s vision, equity-driven leadership, and commitment to the balanced growth of Nigeria’s diverse regions.

“For too long, the South-South, despite its vast natural endowments, yearned for an institutional framework to translate its wealth into prosperity for its people. Truly, this Commission emerges as a long-awaited dawn for a land abundantly blessed, yet sorely yearning for enduring progress,” the governor stated.

The governor also congratulated members of the newly inaugurated board of the Commission, sworn in on Thursday in Abuja by the Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh.

He particularly lauded the appointments of two Cross River indigenes, Mr. Soni Abang and Rt. Hon. Larry Odey, whom he described as “distinguished sons of the soil” entrusted with a sacred responsibility to shape the destiny of the region.

“To my brothers, Soni Abang and Larry Odey, your inauguration is not merely a political appointment but a sacred trust — a call to etch your names in golden letters upon the annals of our region’s renaissance,” Otu said.

He urged the appointees and their colleagues to ensure the Commission becomes a beacon of inclusivity, progress, and shared prosperity.

“Your experience, expertise, and unyielding passion must now converge to make the Commission a sanctuary of progress and a monument of justice for generations yet unborn,” he added.

Describing the South-South as a region “whose resources flow as rivers, yet whose promise has too often been deferred,” Otu charged the new leadership to wield their mandate with fidelity by uplifting the youth, empowering communities, and weaving the six states into a fabric of hope and advancement.

He assured the board of Cross River’s full support, pledging to work closely with the SSDC to ensure the region’s wealth is harnessed to transform lives, end cycles of deprivation, and place the South-South on a path of inclusive prosperity.