The Senate Committee on the South East Development Commission (SEDC) will return to Enugu in December to assess the commission’s progress, following an oversight visit during which its chairman, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, urged management to sustain the pace of work.
Kalu, who represents Abia North Senatorial District, said lawmakers had observed improvements in the commission’s operations and the development of its headquarters, compared with their previous engagements.
He, however, warned that the progress must continue, stressing that the commission’s responsibilities extend beyond securing office accommodation to delivering on its mandate across the South-East.
“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.
The committee inspected the commission’s current office and another building provided by the Enugu State Government, which is being completed for its use.
Kalu said the inspection showed that progress had been made in resolving the controversy over the commission’s initial operation from Abuja.
He maintained that the SEDC must operate from the region it was established to serve.
“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 said.
The senator also urged the commission to take its activities to communities across the South-East, insisting that residents must see evidence of its presence.
“We also want them to go to the grassroots to show the South Eastern people that they are on the ground,” he added.
Although Kalu acknowledged that the commission was less than a year old, he said its management must maintain the progress recorded so far.
The committee’s planned return in December will provide another opportunity for lawmakers to review developments at the headquarters and examine the commission’s operations.
Kalu did not announce specific performance targets for the December visit but expressed satisfaction with the progress observed during Monday’s inspection.
