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Tag: Southeast Development Commission

  • Setting facts straight on Southeast Development Commission

    Setting facts straight on Southeast Development Commission

    • By Mike Ukoha

    A recent interview by Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu, National Vice Chairman South East of the All Progressives Congress (APC), caught my attention. Unfortunately, his statements were riddled with inaccuracies and misinformation. As someone who values facts and truth, I felt compelled to set the record straight.

    The South East Development Commission (SEDC) is a testament to the tireless efforts of the Deputy Speaker House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu. Despite initial setbacks, Kalu ensured the bill’s passage, which was eventually signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    Contrary to Arodiogbu’s claims, the SEDC bill originated in the House, not the Senate. The bill’s journey involved rigorous debate, conference committee reconciliation, and eventual transmission to the President for assent.

    Arodiogbu’s concerns about the nominees’ qualifications are unfounded. The nominees, including Chief Emeka Wogu, Hon. Mark Okoye, Rt. Hon. Stanley Ohajuruka, Dr. Cliff Chimereze Ogbede, Hon. Toby Okechukwu, Senator Anthony Agbo, and Chief Sylvester Okonkwo, boast impressive credentials and experience.

    A look at the individual profile of them speaks volumes. The nominee for the Chairman of the board, Chief Emeka Wogu, is a golden fish that has no hiding place. He has made a mark in various sectors of our national life and really fits in the job very well. For the record, Chief Emeka Wogu has been a grassroot leader where he became former Chairman of Aba South LGA, Abia State. He has been a two-term Federal Commissioner in the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission. He has been a two-term Minister of the Federal Republic in charge of Labor and Productivity, a position that was roundly applauded.

    Hon. Mark Okoye, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer designate, is currently the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Anambra Investment and Protection Agency. He is a former commissioner for economic planning/budget and development partners. Okoye has served three All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) administrations in Anambra State. He holds a degree from George Washington University, USA. He has worked tirelessly in bringing social services and investments across Anambra State.

    For the Executive Director Finance nominee, Rt. Hon. Stanley Ohajuruka, who hails from Abia State, competence speaks. He is a two-term member/speaker of Abia State House of Assembly. Former Acting Governor; a member, House of Representatives in the 6th National Assembly. Ohajuruka is a real estate guru and certified financial expert. He holds a masters degree in International Diplomacy.

    Read Also: North will vote for Tinubu again in 2027 – Arewa Group

    Similarly, the nominee for Executive Director, Agriculture, Dr. Cliff Chimereze Ogbede is a seasoned administrator, an educationist, businessman, diplomat, and politician who has served the country at various times in different capacities. Permit me to state that Ogbede is an expert in agriculture. He organized and led the first Nigerian delegation to Ukraine on a partnership in agriculture. The federal government saw a great capacity in him before giving him such huge responsibility. He holds a doctorate degree in Public Administration from the Lviv University of Business and Law, Ukraine. Masters Degree in Public Administration from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTH), Ogbomosho, as well as a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Administration. He bagged his first degree from the University of Lagos. He, at various times, had contested to represent Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency of Imo State.

    Also, Hon. Toby Okechukwu needs no introduction in the political firmament. He has garnered a lot of experience; and he is qualified to be the Executive Director Projects of the SEDC after chairing the Committee on works during his three times membership of the House of Representatives, where he later became the Deputy Minority Leader. He performed impressively to the admiration of many in his constituency of Aninri/ Awgu/Oji River of Enugu State. Okechukwu’s portfolio as the Executive Director Projects will greatly help him to replicate what he did for his immediate constituency in terms of quality projects and empowerments for the betterment of the people of Southeast region. He is a barrister at law.

    Senator Anthony Agbo, from Ebonyi State, is the designate for Executive Director, Infrastructure. He graduated from the University of Nigeria. Former Senator for Ebonyi North Senatorial District. Senator Agbo had served as the Speaker of the Old Enugu State House of Assembly and Commissioner in Ebonyi State. In addition to his political career, he is a celebrated poet.

    Chief Sylvester Okonkwo is the nominee for Executive Director, Corporate Affairs. Armed with Bachelor Degree in Law (LL.B. Hons; B.L) from the University of Nigeria; he has been a corporate lawyer and an astute politician for more than two decades. He is a native of Ojoto in Idemili South LGA of Anambra State. Thus, there is no doubt that all nominees will bring their experiences to bear on SEDC.

    With these impressive pedigrees, it is, therefore, out of place for anyone to question the qualifications of the nominees. In fact, it is safe to say that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who did his due diligence, chose men of character with stellar academic credentials.

    So, one then wonders why some people who have turned themselves into mischief makers have no good intentions for the generality of Ndigbo.

    The distribution of positions within the SEDC was meticulously done, ensuring equitable representation across the five states in the southeast. Allegations of lopsided appointments are baseless.

    Rather than spreading misinformation, we should unite to support President Tinubu’s efforts to promote regional development. The SEDC is a vital step towards revitalizing the southeast’s economy, infrastructure, agriculture, addressing insecurity, and creating opportunities for youths and women.

    Let us focus on progress, not petty politics. The southeast deserves better.

    •Ukoha is a former Minority Whip of the Abia State House of Assembly.

  • Thoughts on the Southeast Development Commission Bill (1)

    Thoughts on the Southeast Development Commission Bill (1)

    As news of the second passage of the bill establishing the Southeast Development Commission (SEDC) by the 11th Senate came through alongside the hoopla, many of Ala Igbo’s  children such as myself were largely not infused with the ‘Alleluia Joy’ mood owing to two things which I will express much later in this piece.

    As the bill suggests, the SEDC is a  federal government agency in Nigeria that will attempt to address the challenges of underdevelopment in the Southeast region of the country, a region that has since the end of the Nigerian/ Biafran War  long suffered from neglect and marginalization, resulting in poor infrastructure, high unemployment rates, and low levels of social services. The establishment of the SEDC was borne out of a desire to address these issues and promote economic development in the region.

    The Southeast region of Nigeria is made up of five states: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo. Despite being rich in natural resources and having a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit, the region has struggled to attract investment and create jobs for its burgeoning population. The lack of good roads, electricity, and other basic infrastructure has hindered the growth of industries and businesses in the region, leading to widespread poverty and underdevelopment.

    Read Also: Senate passes Southeast Development Commission Bill

    The bill to establish the SEDC was passed sometime in 2018 by the Senator Ahmed Lawan led National Assembly but was denied assent by the then sitting president , Muhammadu Buhari . It was again reintroduced into the 11th Assembly and was passed in the House of Representatives by December 2023 before the Senator Akpabio led Senate passed it recently for a second time.

    For me, the rejoicing will begin with an assent first, otherwise there will really be no reason to celebrate the bill. Now while it is true that one might believe that the chummy relationship between the leadership of the National Assembly and the presidency might make it’s being assented to a done deal, was the relationship between Senator  Ahmed  Lawan and  President Muhammadu Buhari, a  model for Executive/Legislative chumminess, the type sought in nation’s like the United States of America where political leanings have trumped governance hurting the ability of most presidents to deliver on their agenda.

    So if the bill could not excite a Buhari’s assent what is the probability that it would excite that of Asiwaju, at a time when the government is busy trying to implement the Oronsaye report and bring down the number of government agencies.

    Again, the bill seems to contain certain confounding issues in it, particularly in it’s set of responsibilities such as ” To receive and manage funds from the allocation of the Federation account for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads, houses and other infrastructural damages suffered by the region as a result of the effects of the civil war, as well as tackle the ecological problems and any other related environmental or developmental challenges faced by the South Eastern states of Nigeria and for related matters, 2024”. 54 years after the Uli Strip was overun by Federal troops while Brigadier Effiong formally surrendered to General Yakubu Gowon, a majority if not all reconstruction and rehabilitation work have long been carried out and concluded not by the Federal Government which payed much lip service to it’s 3Rs, but by the Igbo people themselves in their  ‘Mekaria’ attitude which naturally waits little for government interventions. For example, my grandfather’s house in Abagana was destroyed as it served as the Biafran Headquarters for that sector, my father rebuilt the house in the 80’s as did every Igbo man who survived the war, pray what will now be rehabilitated or reconstructed that has not been carried out in the past?

    I would rather have the first set of responsibilities thrown out except people can either show me for certain, these  roads or infrastructure still suffering from the war’s effects and then focus more on the developmental challenges faced by the zone as we asked the following questions.

    Can the bill if passed into law and the commission established act as a bulwark for the development of the zone’s economic and commercial potentials?

    Will the SouthEast Development Commission drive development into the region which is presently grappling with a dearth of basic infrastructure as well as youth unemployment and unrest? Is it the nation’s solution to the cries of marginalisation bellowed time and time again by it’s people and selfishly brandished by our leaders, particularly when they are not observing table manners?

    A cursory look into the history of past commissions and their dividends or contributions to the development of those areas will help answer in the negative. A good example is the the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC which has despite the billions sunk into it failed to deliver on it’s mandate! The North East Development Commission has taken the same trajectory, now except those who will pilot the affairs of the SouthEast Development Commission be saints, we may yet  get the same shambolism experienced from the initially mentioned commissions.