By NEWSCOUNT Desk
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the South-East Development Commission (SEDC), Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has insisted that the commission must operate from the South-East rather than Abuja, stressing that its presence must be felt by the people it was established to serve.
Kalu, who represents Abia North Senatorial District, made the position known on Monday, October 12, 2026, when he led members of the Senate committee on an oversight visit to the commission’s headquarters in Enugu State to inspect its facilities and assess the progress made towards full operations.
The former Abia State governor expressed satisfaction with the improvement recorded since the committee’s earlier engagements with the commission’s management, noting that the progress observed during the visit was encouraging.
He, however, urged the management team to sustain the pace of work and ensure that the commission’s activities extended beyond its administrative offices to communities across the five South-East states.
Kalu disclosed that the committee would return to Enugu in December to assess the level of progress made, expressing satisfaction that the commission was making visible efforts to establish its operational base in the region.
“We will be here in December to see the progress so far. We are happy now that something is going on. We also want them to go to the grassroots to show the South Eastern people that they are on the ground,” he said.
During the inspection, the lawmakers visited two facilities associated with the commission: the office currently occupied by the management and another building provided by the Enugu State Government, which was undergoing completion for the commission’s use.
Kalu described the progress on the facilities as encouraging, explaining that the committee had previously expressed dissatisfaction over the commission’s operations being based in Abuja rather than in the South-East, where its mandate is to be implemented.
He said the latest inspection showed that progress had been made in addressing the concern, adding that the committee was pleased to see the commission establishing its presence in the region.
“Where we were before and now, we are making progress. We were quarrelling about our office being in Abuja.
“Today, we have seen two offices, one where they are staying and the one they are completing, which the government of Enugu State gave them.
“So, we are very impressed. Once they are back home to do what they are sent to do, nobody has problems with them,” the senator said.
He maintained that the location of the commission’s operations was a fundamental issue that could not be compromised, insisting that the agency must work from the region it was established to develop.
“The only problem that I said before, and I repeat, is that they cannot operate from Abuja. They must operate from where they are set up. This is where they are located,” Kalu added.
The senator subsequently declared that the committee’s earlier disagreement with the commission over its operational location had been resolved, following the progress observed during the visit to Enugu.
“Our quarrel before was about being in Abuja and not being in Enugu. So that quarrel is over now,” he said.
Kalu further stressed that the commission’s responsibility went beyond securing office accommodation and establishing an administrative structure, urging its management to ensure that the benefits of its programmes reached ordinary residents of the South-East.
He maintained that the people of the region needed to see the commission’s presence in their communities through practical interventions and development initiatives capable of addressing their needs.
The senator acknowledged that the SEDC was still relatively new, having operated for less than one year, but said the progress recorded so far was encouraging and should be sustained.
“It’s a new Commission, less than one year. We are making progress. We are impressed with what we have seen so far. So far, so good,” he said.
