…. Accuse Orji Kalu of Highhandedness during Investigative hearing.
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Nigerians have descended heavily on the chairman of the senate committee on SEDC, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, for his highhandedness during the investigative hearing of the committee, describing such action as unparliamentary and uncalled for.
Also, the allegation of mismanagement of 16.6 billion naira against the SEDC was dismissed and described as a politically calculated trap to blackmail and vilify the management of the Commission
An Enugu based legal practitioner, Igwe James Umeh, expressed disappointment on how the proceedings of the investigative hearing were conducted. He accused the chairman of the committee, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, of biase and malicious intent against the management of SEDC.
“If you watched the proceeding of the investigative hearing, you will have no doubt to believe that the action of the chairman and some members of the committee were politically motivated. Mark Okoye and his team were not given fair hearing. Their right for defence was suppressed and stifled. Even when the MD Mark Okoye was pleading to speak, he was shut down by the chairman. The truth is that the Committee has malicious intent against the management team of the SEDC.
Also, the General Overseear of God’s Intervention Assembly, Bishop Geoffrey Eze said the Commission has demonstrated a shared commitment to unlock inclusive economic growth, enhance critical infrastructure, and build sustainable livelihoods across the South-East by accelerating inclusive growth and regional transformation. He applauded Mark Okoye led management committee for their prudence in utilization of the Commission’s fund so far and assured them of the support of South Easterns.
An International Development Banker and Investor, Dr Patrick Nwabueze , expressed confidence in the Management of SEDC, saying that the Commission is still on the right track.
“we still believe in the vision behind the establishment of the Commission and also its vision in infrastructure development, particularly the construction and rehabilitation of roads, bridges, and power supply systems. The deplorable state of road networks in the region has long been a major hindrance to economic growth, affecting trade and transportation, which we believe will be addressed by SEDC”.
The Senate Committee on the South East Development Commission on Tuesday conducted an oversight investigative hearing on the Commission, where the committee accused the Commission of mismanaging the sum of ₦16.6bn appropriated in the 2025 budget
The Chairman of the committee, Senator Orji Kalu, raised preliminary objections to several items in the commission’s financial report, accusing the Commission of spending ₦153m on renting a single-room liaison office in Abuja and another ₦2.5bn categorised as “implied expenditure.”
In his defence, the Managing Director of SEDC, Mark Okoye, submitted that all funds so far utilised were deployed judiciously in line with priority projects and procurement realities.
He also provided detailed information on the Commission’s organisational structure and staffing, budget performance, procurement processes, contracts awarded, institutional partnerships, and ongoing programmes across the region.
He said, “Our approach has been to ensure that available resources are directed towards priority projects. We want allocations to guide the procurement process so that contracts awarded can be backed by available funding.
“What we want to avoid is a situation where contracts are awarded without the financial capacity to execute them. For example, having a budget of N140bn does not automatically mean that N140bn in cash is available.
“It would be irresponsible to award contracts worth the entire budget if only N10 billion or N20 billion has actually been released. Doing so would create unfunded liabilities and a significant financial deficit”
However, his succinct defence was rejected by the Senate Committee without any strong grounds.
This has generated a wide criticism from Nigerians who condemned the committee for vilifying, blackmailing and subjecting the management of the Commission to public ridicule without any justiciable grounds.
According to investigation, the action of the committee was politically motivated and may not be unconnected with the accountable and transparent approach which the management of the Commission has chosen in running the affairs of the SEDC,especially in the prudent utilization of the fund allocated to the commission without the usual looting and collective sharing of the public fund.
Against the allegation by the Senate Committee that the commission has one bedroom office in Abuja rented for 153 million naira, investigation reveals that the commission has a well furnished duplex as its liason office located in Maitama Abuja.
Also, verifiable discovery confirms the Managing Director and the Commissioners denied themselves the luxury and comfort of purchasing the budgeted and approved official cars and operational vehicles until they move into the Head office in August which is under renovation.
