The Senate has cautioned the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) against misusing public funds, warning that the agency must focus on delivering real development to the people of the region.
The warning was issued during a budget defence session where the commission’s management appeared before the Senate Committee on the South-East Development Commission to present its proposed ₦140 billion budget for the 2026 fiscal year.
Chairman of the committee, Orji Uzor Kalu, stressed that the commission must not repeat the failures and controversies that have affected similar development agencies in the past.
“Our oversight work shall never be taken for granted,” Kalu said. “You were appointed to make our region proud. I plead with you not to take this commission as a place for siphoning money. This commission is to work for our people, to rebuild our area. This committee will be very ruthless in its oversight.”
Kalu noted that the commission was established following decades of neglect and hardship in the South-East, adding that it would be disappointing if it failed to fulfil its mandate.
He assured that the Senate would closely monitor the implementation of projects to ensure tangible benefits reach communities across the region.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the commission, Mark Okoye, outlined an ambitious development roadmap aimed at transforming the South-East into a $200 billion economy within the next 10 years.
Okoye sought legislative backing for the proposed ₦140 billion 2026 budget to commence full implementation of the commission’s development blueprint.
The budget proposal is expected to undergo further legislative scrutiny as the Senate continues its review process.