SEDC must operate from South East, not Abuja — Kalu

…says Senate panel happy with progress of work

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the South East Development Commission (SEDC), Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has insisted that the commission must operate from the South-East, not Abuja, saying its presence must be felt in the region it was established to serve.

Kalu, who represents Abia North Senatorial District, made this known on Monday when he led members of his committee on an oversight visit to inspect the commission’s headquarters in Enugu State and assess its operations.

The former Abia State governor expressed satisfaction with the progress of work on the commission’s headquarters, noting that the situation had improved considerably since the committee’s earlier engagements with the management.

He, however, urged the management to sustain the pace of work, disclosing that the committee would return to Enugu in December to assess further progress.

“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.

“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 said.

Kalu explained that 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.

Describing the headquarters as an impressive edifice, he said the level of work observed during the inspection was encouraging. He added that the commission’s relocation of its operations to the South-East had addressed the committee’s earlier concerns.

He said, “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. Once they are back home to do what they are sent to do, nobody has problems with them.”

The senator, however, reiterated that the commission must not operate from Abuja, insisting that its headquarters and activities should remain within the region it was established to develop.

“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 added.

The lawmaker announced that the committee’s earlier disagreement with the commission over the location of its operations had been resolved.

“Our quarrel before was about being in Abuja and not being in Enugu. So that quarrel is over now,” he added.

Kalu further urged the commission to extend its activities to communities across the South-East, stressing that its impact should be felt at the grassroots rather than being limited to administrative offices.

While acknowledging that the commission was still relatively new, he said its management must 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.