The Nigerian Senate has directed the South East Development Commission (SEDC) to operate from the Southeast region, emphasizing the need for a visible presence across the area. The Senate Committee on SEDC, during an oversight visit to Enugu, expressed satisfaction with the progress on the commission's headquarters. Chairman of the committee, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, noted significant improvements in the commission's accommodation arrangements compared to previous engagements.
Senator Kalu, representing Abia North, had previously expressed concerns about the commission's decision to operate from Abuja. However, he acknowledged that the completion of the Enugu headquarters and the availability of another office represented progress towards resolving the dispute. Kalu described the headquarters building as an encouraging development but warned that the management must sustain the momentum ahead of another oversight visit scheduled for December.
The Senate committee inspected two facilities during the visit: the office currently occupied by the commission and another building provided by the Enugu State Government, which is being completed for the agency's use. Kalu said the availability of the facilities had addressed the committee's earlier concerns over the commission's decision to operate from Abuja rather than Enugu. The committee will return in December to assess the level of work achieved.
During the visit, Senator Kalu emphasized that the commission must demonstrate its commitment to the people of the region through tangible activities. He urged the commission to extend its operations to communities across the five states of the South East, warning against an approach that concentrates activities within administrative offices while leaving grassroots communities without a visible presence.
The senator made it clear that the committee's position on the commission's operational base remained unchanged, insisting that the agency must maintain its presence within the South East. Kalu stated that the commission's mandate required sustained engagement with the people it was established to serve, including communities that expect its intervention in addressing regional development challenges.
Although acknowledging that the SEDC was still relatively new, Kalu maintained that its management must sustain the progress recorded so far and demonstrate its commitment through concrete projects and community-level interventions. The December oversight visit will provide another opportunity for the Senate committee to assess the commission's progress and determine whether the management had maintained the pace observed during Monday's inspection.
The Senate's directive underscores the lawmakers' insistence that the agency must move beyond administrative operations and establish a visible presence across the South East. The commission's management must sustain the progress recorded so far and demonstrate its commitment to the people of the region through tangible activities.
Key points
- The Nigerian Senate has directed the South East Development Commission to operate from the Southeast region.
- The Senate committee expressed satisfaction with the progress on the commission's headquarters in Enugu State.
- The commission's management must sustain the progress recorded so far and demonstrate its commitment through concrete projects and community-level interventions.
