16th June 2026, NewsOrient, Opinion, Column, News, Governance And Development, Law And Society, Business And Economy
By David Chukwu.

In the last one week, the South East Development Commission (SEDC) has had its public image savaged following the dramatic encounter that occurred in the National Assembly between the leadership of the Commission and Chairman of the Senate Committee on SEDC, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu. In a video clip that had gone viral, the Commission was accused by Kalu and his Committee members of being wasteful in the way and manner the Commission has managed the funds it has received from the Federal Government.

In the interaction which was arranged by the Committee to assess how the Commission has utilized the funds allocated to it, Kalu accused the Commission of financial recklessness, revealing to the public that a whopping sum of One Hundred and Fifty Three Million Naira (N153) was used by the Commission in renting a one-room office in Abuja instead of the Commission moving into Enugu where its operational headquarters is based.

Senator Kalu, who did not give the Managing Director of the SEDC, Mr. Mark Okoye, the opportunity to respond to the allegation, further berated the Commission and wondered what it was still doing in Abuja more than one year after its inauguration by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Every effort that was made by Okoye to give an explanation on the utilization of the funds was arrogantly rebuffed by Kalu and his Committee members.

It was against this background that the media had to go to town with the false narrative of financial malfeasance in the Commission. The fall-out has been very devastating, to say the least. The image of the Commission has, consequently, taken a serious battering in the public space, to the point that the SEDC is a now a butt of all manner of bad jokes, notwithstanding the efforts Okoye and his team have made to lay a solid foundation for the seamless and effective take-off of the Commission.

From that encounter, it was revealed that the Commission has received a total of about Sixteen Billion Naira (N16 Billion) to date. Out of this amount, the sum of Thirteen Billion Naira (N13 Billion) is estimated to be the remaining balance in the coffers of the Commission, suggesting that the sum of Three Billion Nair (N3 Billion) had been expended by the Commission.

These revelations, expectedly, have generated a lot of anger in the polity, particularly in the South East, where the people believed that the SEDC was yet to make its presence felt. They have been looking forward to seeing the SEDC come up with visible projects that would impact positively on the various communities in the zone.

There is no doubt that expectations are rife on the introduction of mega projects like railway lines, gas master plan, and regional security. But the Commission would have gained popular support if it had started with low hanging fruits in the area of agriculture and rural development.

With this dramatic encounter in the National Assembly, the people of the South East expect the SEDC to realign its priorities and focus on those projects that can bring immediate relief and succor to the people. These low hanging fruits reside in the area of agriculture and food security. The Commission should do well to focus on agro-mechanization and rural development.  

Many political analysts are firmly of the view that, though the encounter at the National Assembly was deleterious to the image of the SEDC, but it may come with a positive fallout. The Commission can redeem its sullied image by moving immediately into the area of agricultural production and agro-mechanization in the zone.

The commencement point could be the various abandoned farm settlements built by the Dr. Michael Okpara administration. Those farm settlements served as the springboard of the famed agricultural and industrial revolution of the glorious Okpara era.

Beyond the farm settlements, there are communities that have expressed their readiness and willingness to partner with the SEDC in the area of agricultural development. Those communities are ready to donate huge acres of land for a mutually rewarding partnership with the SEDC.

The agricultural programme of the SEDC will definitely provide huge job opportunities for the teeming but jobless youths in the South East region. This will further lead to job creation and economic prosperity.

This is the time to partner with such communities to ensure that enough food is produced to feed our people. Such an initiative would help to reduce dependence on other parts of Nigeria for the food security of the South East.

Time is of essence. And the moment to act is now.

–David Chukwu, a Public Affairs Analyst, writes from Enugu

~ Published By NewsOrient Network

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