Kalu-led committee hails progress on Enugu headquarters, demands grassroots presence
The Senate has insisted that the South East Development Commission (SEDC) must operate from the region it was established to serve, warning its management against running the agency from Abuja.
The Senate Committee on SEDC gave the directive on Monday during an oversight visit to projects being executed by the commission in Enugu State, where lawmakers expressed satisfaction with progress on its headquarters.
Committee Chairman, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North, said the commission had made significant progress in addressing concerns over its operational base, following the provision of office facilities in Enugu.
Kalu, who had earlier criticised the commission’s decision to operate from Abuja, said the committee was encouraged by the progress recorded during the latest inspection.
He, however, urged the management to sustain the momentum ahead of another oversight visit scheduled for December.
“So far, we are making very good progress, unlike when we started. I’m sure you and my colleagues are seeing very serious progress. I hope that the commission, especially the management team, sustains this progress,” he said.
The senator stressed that the commission must demonstrate its commitment to the people of the South East by taking its activities beyond administrative offices and establishing a presence at the grassroots.
“We will be here in December to see the progress so far. We are happy now that something is going on. We also want them to go to the grassroots to show the South Eastern people that they are on the ground,” he added.
During the visit, the lawmakers inspected two facilities: 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 about the commission’s decision to operate from Abuja instead of Enugu.
“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,” he said.
He added that the committee would have no objection to the commission’s operations as long as it was based in the region and fulfilled its mandate.
“The only problem that I said 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,” Kalu declared.
“Our quarrel before was about being in Abuja and not being in Enugu. So that quarrel is over now,” he added.
Beyond the headquarters, the committee chairman urged the SEDC to extend its activities to communities across the five states of the South East, stressing that the commission must make its impact felt by the people.
He warned against concentrating operations within administrative offices while communities continued to await interventions to address regional development challenges.
Although acknowledging that the commission was still relatively new, Kalu said its management must translate the progress recorded into tangible projects and community-level interventions.
The planned December oversight visit, he said, would enable the committee to assess the commission’s performance, monitor developments at its headquarters and determine whether it had expanded its activities across the region.
The Senate’s position underscores the expectation that the SEDC should maintain a functional presence in the South East and deliver development interventions in line with its mandate.
