The Senate has cautioned the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) to focus on delivering meaningful development to the people and avoid turning the agency into an avenue for siphoning public funds.
The warning came during a budget defence session on Tuesday, where the commission’s management team appeared before the Senate Committee on South-East Development Commission to present its proposed ₦140 billion 2026 budget.
Chairman of the committee, Orji Kalu, charged the commission to remain committed to addressing the longstanding needs of communities across the region.
The former Abia State governor underscored that the agency must not repeat the mistakes that have plagued similar development bodies in the past.
According to him, the commission was created following the recognition of decades of neglect and hardship experienced in the South-East by President Bola Tinubu.
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“It will be disappointing if this commission fails to execute its mandate and falls into the same controversies that have trailed similar agencies,” Kalu stated.
The Chairman said the committee would exercise strict oversight on the commission’s activities, particularly in the implementation of projects, to ensure tangible benefits for the people.
“Our oversight work shall never be taken for granted. You were appointed to make our region very proud. Our region has suffered so much, and Mr. President has done us the honor of giving us this commission,” the lawmaker said.
“I plead with you not to take this commission as a place for siphoning money. This commission is to work for our people, to rebuild our area. This committee will be very ruthless in its oversight.”
While reviewing the commission’s development roadmap, Kalu commended its economic blueprint, describing it as a critical opportunity for the largely business-oriented people of the South-East to transform the region.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the South East Development Commission (SEDC), Mark Okoye, has unveiled an ambitious plan to grow the South-East into a $200 billion economy within 10 years.
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