Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the South East Development Commission (SEDC), Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has insisted the commission must operate from the South-east, declaring that its presence in Enugu has resolved earlier disagreements over its decision to run its affairs from Abuja.
Kalu, who represents Abia North Senatorial District, spoke on Monday during an oversight visit by members of the Senate committee to inspect the commission’s headquarters in Enugu State and assess its operations.
The former Abia State governor, according to a statement from his Media Office on Monday, expressed satisfaction with the progress of work on the headquarters, noting that the commission had made significant improvements since the lawmakers’ previous engagements with its management.
He however urged the management to sustain the progress and extend the commission’s activities to communities across the South-east, stressing that its impact must be felt beyond its administrative offices.
“Well, so far, we are making very good progress, unlike when we started. I’m sure you, both me and my colleagues, are seeing very serious progress. I hope that the commission, especially the management team, sustains this progress,” he said.
Kalu disclosed the committee would return to Enugu in December to assess the level of progress and review the commission’s operations.
“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.
The lawmakers 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 its use.
Kalu described the headquarters project as encouraging, saying the improvements had addressed the committee’s earlier concerns about the commission’s decision to operate from Abuja rather than from the region it was established to develop.
“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.
The senator added: “So, we are very impressed. Once they are back home to do what they are sent to do, nobody has problems with them.”
Despite his satisfaction with the progress recorded, Kalu reiterated that the commission must maintain its operational base in the South-east.
“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,” he insisted.
He said the dispute over the commission’s location had been resolved following the progress made in establishing its presence in Enugu.
“Our quarrel before was about being in Abuja and not being in Enugu. So that quarrel is over now,” he said.
Kalu also called on the commission’s management to take its activities to communities across the five South-east states, emphasising that its success would depend not only on the establishment of offices but also on its ability to demonstrate tangible development outcomes for the people.
He acknowledged that the commission was still relatively new, having been in operation for less than a year, but urged its management to remain focused on delivering on its mandate.
“It’s a new commission, less than one year. We are making progress. We are impressed with what we have seen so far. So far, so good,” he said.
The Senate committee is expected to return to Enugu in December for another inspection of the headquarters project and an assessment of the commission’s operations.