Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu has declared an end to the row over where the South East Development Commission (SEDC) should operate, saying the commission has no business running from Abuja and that progress in Enugu has settled the matter.
Kalu, who chairs the Senate Committee on SEDC, spoke on Monday during an oversight visit to inspect the commission’s headquarters project and assess its operations.
“The only problem that I said before, and I repeat, is that they cannot operate from Abuja,” the Abia North senator said. “They must operate from where they are set up.”
What changed his mind, he explained, was what he saw on the ground. The lawmakers toured two buildings in Enugu: the office the commission now occupies, and a second one provided by the Enugu State Government that is being completed for its use.
“We were quarrelling about our office being in Abuja,” Kalu said. “Today, we have seen two offices… So that quarrel is over now.”
Kalu said he was satisfied with the progress since the committee’s last engagements, but he made clear that satisfaction has limits. He urged the commission’s management to sustain the pace and announced that the committee will be back in December to measure what has been done.
“So far, we are making very good progress, unlike when we started,” he said. “I hope that the Commission, especially the management team, sustains this progress.”
Kalu also pressed the commission to show itself beyond its offices. “We also want them to go to the grassroots to show the South Eastern people that they are on the ground,” he said.
He noted that the commission is less than a year old, but said it must stay focused on its mandate and make its presence felt across the five South-East states. “We are impressed with what we have seen so far,” he said. “So far, so good.”
The committee is expected to return to Enugu in December to review progress on the headquarters and other aspects of the commission’s operations.