Easterners still await benefits of South East Development Commission 2 years after

…As controversy swells over improper expenditure

…N153m annual rent for single-room office, N500m for media publicity

…Senate expresses concern

It will be exactly two years on July 24 since the establishment of the South East Development Commission (SEDC) by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to drive economic development in the region, but unfortunately, no meaningful project has been started by the commission.

The SEDC was established to drive economic transformation, infrastructure development, investment mobilisation, and regional prosperity across the South East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.

Meanwhile, the South West Development Commission (SWDC), which was established in March 2025, has secured a provisional Rail Operating and Track Access Licence from the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to revive dormant rail corridors and build modern networks that will link all six South West states of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti, through a 44-city rail grid to boost trade, agriculture, industry and mobility, Charles Ogbu, a human rights advocate and socio-political analyst, observed.

Comparing SEDC and SWDC, Ogbu noted that the South West Development Commission (SWDC) bill was signed into law by President Tinubu in March 2025, while the board was inaugurated in September 2025, marking full operational start.

He emphasised that the SWDC has been operational for just nine months and within that short period of time and without much noise or conference after conference, the leadership of the commission has secured a provisional Rail Operating and Track Access Licence from the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to revive dormant rail corridors and build modern networks that will link all six Yoruba States of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti through a 44-city rail grid to boost trade, agriculture, industry and mobility.

“But in the same country, a similar commission known as the South East Development Commission (SEDC) bill was signed in July 2024 (nearly 2 years ago) and the Board inaugurated on 12 February 2025 (a year and 4 months now) but the only achievements of the management of the commission is an allegation of how it spent a staggering N2.4 billion on office expenses and another whopping N1.6 billion on vehicles for an agency that does not yet have an office in any part of the region for which it was established,” Ogbu said.

According to him, “This is a region in dire need of infrastructural and developmental projects, a region, which has since been crying of marginalisation and a near absolute nothingness in terms of federal presence, but all that the people of the South East have seen from the management of SEDC are seminars, conferences and workshops.”

Ogbu, who expressed disappointment over the recent allegation of misappropriation by the management of SEDC, praised Tony Nwoye, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Orji Uzor-Kalu and other members of the Senate Committee for doing their oversight duty with a sense of patriotism.

“Like millions of other Igbos, I have personally lost every hope in the leadership of the Commission, but going by the patriotic performance of Tony Nwoye when SEDC first appeared before the committee and what we witnessed yesterday (Thursday) from Orji-Kalu and Abaribe, I have no doubt that the Committee fully understands the generational shame the Igbo brand will bear, if this Commission fails,” he noted.

Akujuobi Uchenna, a business consultant, who also expressed disappointment at the slow start of SEDC, explained that at first when the management of South East Development Commission extended their invitation to him alongside several other stakeholders and technocrats for a 3-day summit to Enugu to develop a 25-blue print for the development of the region that he felt a sigh of relief with the expectations that hope was in view.

“I had expected that by now Mark Okoye and his team will swiftly synergise with the already performing governors in the South East to drive home novel projects, like light rail, sea port and agricultural parks given our competitive advantage in those three areas, and its potentials to act as catalyst to develop every other subsector of the South Eastern economy.

“As you may know, the current governors in the South East, despites the healthy competition and cohesion between them in terms of developmental project delivery, are running on different electoral calendar although, governance is a continuum but delay could give room for spoilers to crip in and don’t forget that in politics anything goes.

“Having said that, if Mark had started out with five agricultural park projects with an initial investment of N1billion in each of the states, by now, investors would have started lining up to be part of the projects while him and his team continued with the feasibility studies of the other projects, which takes longer time and more funds for implementation.”

Unfortunately, the reverse has been the case as it has become glaringly clear to everyone that since February 12 2025, a year and 4 months that the board of South East Development Commission was inaugurated and a budget of N16.5 billion allocated, approved and disbursed to the commission, Okoye is yet to find his feet on a single project, a development Akujiobi described as a big disappointment.

“Truth be told, Mark Okoye is young, sounds intelligent (though, I’m beginning to doubt my first belief now) and to drive change in such an office requires a strong will, but it is not impossible.

“It’s not impossible, because the SWDC has gone ahead of him to get approval to connect to entire South Western state with rail project, so why can’t mark borrow a cue?

“It’s not impossible, because the South Eastern nation is not bereft of technocrats and in fact, we have progenitors and patriarchs that have developed regional development playbooks in the likes of Sam Mbakwe, Michael Okpara, among others. So, why can’t Okoye borrow a leaf?

“I’m also aware that our own illustrious and enterprising brother in the person of Nnaemeka Onyeka Obiaraeri, who is demonstrating the most pragmatic and ecosystem value chain agricultural parks in the South East has severally offered a pro bono transformational blueprint to the SEDC management. So, why can’t Okoye borrow a leaf?”

He regretted that some young people, who are struggling with a ruined and bleak future are the ones defending Mark Okoye and his team for misusing over N2.5 billion out of N16.5 billion that was disbursed to the Commission.

“The same young folks are even questioning the moral right of Orji Uzor Kalu to scrutinise Mark and his team forgetting that Orji-Kalu is the chairman of Senate Committee on South East Development Commission.

“It is not a crime to scrutinise a public office’s budgetary allocation and performance. In an economy where a kilogram of gas is averaging N2,000 and a liter of Petro is over N1,300?

I don’t know why prisoners love their chains,” he queried.

He noted that the North East and South West, that was recently established alongside the South East Development Commission, are quietly building and consolidating to the best of their abilities, and they will never wait for anyone.

Joseph Ejindu said that SEDC was created as a dedicated vehicle to fix roads, power, health centres, and industries across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo, but expressed disappointment over the alleged misappropriation of

about N16.6 billion, by the SEDC management, led by Okoye, its managing director,

“To date, many in the South East are still waiting for a clear, detailed account of how that money was spent and what projects it delivered.

“The Commission has not been able to point to signature projects built since its creation, yet the argument over missing funds dominates the news.”

He said that Mark Okoye owes Ndigbo transparency, not because he is guilty, but because leadership in a democracy means opening your books when public money is involved, noting that accountability builds trust, while silence breeds suspicion.

Senate expresses concerns

Last week, the Senate summoned the leadership of the commission for questioning over its expenditure.

The SEDC’s management, led by the Managing Director, Mark Okoye, appeared before the Senate Committee on the South East Development Commission regarding over N5 billion in expenditures.

Lawmakers particularly raised concerns over SEDC’s expenditures, which included N153 million spent on annual rent for a single-room office in Abuja and N500 million used for media promotion and publicity.

The Senate Committee on the South East Development Commission, chaired by Uzor Kalu, directed the commission’s management to provide comprehensive, itemised documentation regarding how the disbursed funds were utilised.

SEDC lags peers

While the SEDC is enmeshed in unnecessary controversy, its peers are engaging in strategic plans and partnerships to better the lot of their people.

While the Okoye-led commission is comfortable with the payment of impossible rents for an office space, the North West Development Commission (NWDC) established same time, has concluded plans for its permanent headquarters in Kano.

The NWDC’s leadership is said to have also actively engaged with international bodies and foreign embassies (such as India, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia) to mobilise development grants, attract foreign investment, and secure support for key agricultural and vocational projects.