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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives Committee on the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) has expressed optimism that the commission’s prospects for the people of the South East geopolitical zone will be realised.
The Chairman of the Committee, Chris Nkwonta, said during an oversight visit to the SEDC headquarters that the progress made so far by the commission inspired confidence that it would fulfil its mandate.
Nkwonta commended the management of the commission for its efforts towards establishing an effective operational structure and advancing its mandate of accelerating development across the South-East region.
According to him, the committee was impressed by the facilities and preparations at the headquarters, describing the progress recorded as a positive indication that the commission was laying a solid foundation for effective service delivery.
“Our job basically here is to provide oversight on the activities of the South-East Development Commission. That is why we are here. Today, we had a meeting before coming here, and I can tell you that what we have seen here is very, very impressive.
“For the very first time since the end of the war, a commission has been established specifically to drive the development of the South-East. There are other development agencies, but this Commission is particularly important to those of us from the region.
“Having seen what they have done so far and the way they have started, I believe that better days are ahead,” he said.
Nkwonta, while commending the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, for providing the building for the commission’s operations at no cost, described the gesture as commendable and a significant contribution to the development of the South-East.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the SEDC, Chief Mark Okoye, in his response, thanked the committee chairman and members for the oversight visit, describing parliamentary engagement as critical to the commission’s effectiveness and accountability.
Okoye said: “What we have here is the head office of the SEDC, and we have all the departments and staff that will work from here. The idea is to make it conducive for what we call deep work, because we will be working from here for long hours, on weekdays and weekends.
“The development challenges in the South-East are enormous, and they require people and an environment where we can truly come together, plan for the region, prepare for the region and execute.”
