The Senate through its committee on the South East Development Commission (SEDC) has directed the management of the Commission to operate from the South-East, insisting that the commission must be physically present in the region it was established to serve.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on SEDC, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North), gave the directive on Monday during an oversight visit to projects being executed by the commission in Enugu State.
Kalu was quoted to have expressed satisfaction with the progress made on the commission’s headquarters in Enugu, describing the building as an impressive structure and commending the improvement recorded since the committee’s previous engagements with the management.
“Well, so far, we are making very good progress, unlike when we started. I am sure both my colleagues and I are seeing very serious progress. I hope that the commission, especially the management team, sustains this progress,” he said.
The senator disclosed that the committee inspected two facilities: the office currently occupied by the commission and another building provided by the Enugu State Government, which is being completed for its use.
He said the development had addressed the committee’s earlier concerns over the commission’s decision to operate from Abuja rather than its designated region.
“Where we were before and now, we are making progress. We were quarrelling about our office being in Abuja. Today, we have seen two offices, one where they are staying and the one they are completing, which the government of Enugu State gave them. So, we are very impressed,” Kalu said.
He, however, stressed that the commission must establish its operations in the South-East, warning that its mandate could not be effectively discharged from outside the region.
“The only problem that I stated before, and I repeat, is that they cannot operate from Abuja. They must operate from where they are set up. This is where they are located,” he declared.
Kalu also urged the SEDC to take its activities beyond administrative offices and ensure its impact is felt in communities across the five South-East states.
“We also want them to go to the grassroots to show the South-Eastern people that they are on the ground,” he said, adding that the Senate committee would return in December to assess further progress.
Although he acknowledged that the commission was relatively new, the committee chairman charged its management to sustain the momentum and focus on delivering the development projects and interventions for which it was established.
