Chairman of the Senate Committee on the South-East Development Commission (SEDC), Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has expressed satisfaction with progress on the Commission’s headquarters in Enugu State, insisting that the agency must operate from the South-East rather than Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
Kalu, who represents Abia North Senatorial District, stated this on Monday while leading members of the Senate Committee on an oversight visit to inspect the ongoing headquarters project and assess the Commission’s operations in the state.
The former Abia State governor said the Committee had observed significant improvements compared with its previous engagements with the Commission, urging the management to sustain the momentum.
“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,” the Lawmaker explained.
Kalu disclosed that the Committee would return to Enugu in December to assess the level of progress made, adding that the Commission must also take its activities to communities across the South-East to demonstrate its impact on the people.
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He 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 undergoing completion for the Commission’s use.
The senator described the headquarters project as encouraging and said the availability of facilities in Enugu represented progress in addressing the Committee’s earlier concerns about the Commission’s location.
“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,” Kalu said.
He noted that the Committee was satisfied with the progress observed, stressing that the Commission should focus on delivering on its mandate from within the region it was established to serve.
The lawmaker, however, reiterated his opposition to the Commission operating from Abuja, maintaining that its headquarters and operations must remain 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,” the Senator insisted.
According to Kalu, the dispute over the Commission’s operational base 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 stated.
Beyond the headquarters project, Kalu urged the Commission to extend its activities to communities across the five South-East states, stressing that its impact should be felt at the grassroots rather than being confined to administrative offices.
While acknowledging that the SEDC was still a relatively new institution, having been established less than a year earlier, he expressed optimism about its progress and called on the management to remain focused on its responsibilities.
“It’s a new Commission, less than one year old. We are making progress. We are impressed with what we have seen so far. So far, so good,” Kalu added.
The Senate Committee is expected to return to Enugu in December for a further assessment of the headquarters project and the Commission’s overall operations.
