•Kalu: Commission must operate from zone, not Abuja
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, has urged the South East Development Commission (SEDC) to prioritise the development of a regional gas pipeline, railway network and initiatives to accelerate industrialisation in the region.
Mbah said the proposed infrastructure would boost economic activities, improve connectivity among the five South East states and strengthen regional integration.
He also urged the National Assembly to ensure adequate funding for the Commission, describing it as a strategic platform for addressing the region’s development needs.
The governor made the calls on Monday when he received the Senate Committee on the South East Development Commission led by its Chairman, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.
The delegation, which paid a courtesy call to the governor on the sidelines of its oversight visit to have a firsthand assessment of the projects and programmes of the SEDC, was also accompanied by the management of the Commission, led by its Managing Director, Mr Mark Okoye.
“For us in the South East, this Committee is one of the most important committees of the National Assembly, given the immense development prospects it holds for our people,” he said.
The governor identified a high-pressure gas pipeline connecting major cities across the South East as a critical intervention that could provide industries with reliable access to gas and stimulate large-scale industrial development.
He argued that the region should benefit from gas resources produced within the wider southern part of the country, noting that pipeline infrastructure already transports gas to other parts of Nigeria.
“If we are able to have a high-pressure gas pipeline across all the major cities in the South East, I know that the SEDC is a veritable platform that can essentially execute a project of that scale,” Mbah said.
Mbah also proposed an inter-state railway network linking major cities across the five South East states to facilitate trade, improve transportation and reduce pressure on the region’s road network.
He urged the states to work together on a common design for the proposed railway system, with the SEDC providing a platform for coordination and regional collaboration.
“We are hoping that, given the coming into effect of the SEDC, we will be able to use it as a platform to bring all the other states together to have a common design on the South East railway line,” he said.
The governor further highlighted the commission’s role in supporting agriculture and technology-driven enterprises, citing the flag-off of a 200-hectare integrated Agro Development Programme at Nomeh Unateze, Enugu State, as one of its interventions in the agricultural sector.
He assured the commission of the state government’s support in providing an enabling environment for the project.
Mbah also stressed the need for the SEDC to provide funding opportunities for young entrepreneurs whose businesses had attained the minimum viable product stage, enabling them to expand their operations and contribute to economic growth.
He called on the senators to support the Commission in securing the funding required to undertake the project, describing it as a potential catalyst for an industrial revolution in the region.
Earlier, Kalu commended the Mbah administration for its interventions in infrastructure, education, healthcare, water supply and transportation.
He cited the development of Smart Green Schools, more than 7,000 classrooms, Type II primary healthcare centres across the state’s 260 electoral wards, and the state’s multimodal transportation system.
The senator also acknowledged Mbah’s efforts to strengthen engagement between the South East and the federal government, expressing appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for facilitating the establishment of the SEDC.
Kalu disclosed that the issue surrounding the location of the Commission’s headquarters had been resolved, following the Enugu State Government’s provision of temporary office accommodation and a site for its permanent headquarters.
“We wanted to make sure that the commission locates to Enugu State as soon as possible, and this has been a subject of disagreement. But today, I can assure you that the issue is settled,” he said.
He thanked the governor for the support provided to facilitate the commission’s take-off and assured him of the committee’s continued support for its activities.
“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.
“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,” Kalu said, reiterating 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. Our quarrel before was about being in Abuja and not being in Enugu. So that quarrel is over now,” he said.