The Senate Committee on the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) has cautioned the newly established agency against financial recklessness, urging its leadership to prioritize regional transformation over the “siphoning of public funds.”
The warning was delivered during a budget defense session on Tuesday, where the Commission presented its ₦140 billion 2026 budget proposal to the Senate Committee.
Committee Chairman, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC/Abia North), emphasized that the Commission was created by President Bola Tinubu to address decades of systemic neglect in the South-East. He warned that the Senate would not tolerate the controversies and failures that have historically plagued similar regional development bodies.
“I plead with you not to take this commission as a place for siphoning money,” Senator Kalu stated. “Our region has suffered so much, and Mr. President has honored us with this commission. This committee will be very ruthless in its oversight to ensure tangible benefits for our people.”
The Chairman further noted that the SEDC represents a “critical opportunity” for the business-oriented population of the South-East to rebuild and modernize the region’s infrastructure and economy.
In his presentation to the Committee, the Managing Director of the SEDC, Mark Okoye, unveiled an ambitious economic roadmap. The Commission aims to grow the South-East into a $200 billion economy within the next 10 years.
To kick-start this blueprint, the Commission is seeking legislative approval for its ₦140 billion 2026 budget, which is designed to fund:
Regional infrastructure and reconstruction.
Economic empowerment for local businesses.
Long-term developmental projects aimed at ending regional marginalization.
The Senate Committee commended the Commission’s strategic economic blueprint but reiterated that the release of funds would be tied to strict performance metrics. Lawmakers stressed that the SEDC must remain a vehicle for progress rather than a source of political or financial scandal.
