Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, chairman of the Senate Committee on the South East Development Commission (SEDC), has declared that the commission’s relocation from Abuja to Enugu resolves a longstanding dispute over its operational headquarters. Kalu led an oversight visit to the commission’s Enugu headquarters on Monday, expressing satisfaction with the progress made since earlier engagements with the management.

The committee inspected two facilities during the visit: the commission’s current office and another building under construction, provided by the Enugu State Government. Kalu described the headquarters as an “impressive edifice” and noted that the work observed during the inspection was encouraging. He emphasized that the commission’s move to the South-East had addressed the committee’s earlier concerns.

Committee’s Oversight Visit

“Where we were before and now, we are making progress,” Kalu said. He highlighted that the commission’s presence in the region had improved significantly, with visible advancements since the committee’s initial interactions. The former Abia State governor expressed confidence in the management’s ability to sustain the pace of development, announcing plans for a follow-up visit in December to assess further progress.

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During the oversight visit, Kalu urged the commission to extend its activities to communities across the South-East, stressing that its impact should be felt at the grassroots. While acknowledging the commission’s relative youth, less than a year old, he affirmed that its management must remain focused on delivering its mandate. “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 stated.

Resolution of Abuja Dispute

The senator reiterated that the commission’s operations must remain within the region it was established to serve, rejecting any further arguments about relocating back to Abuja. “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 emphasized. He concluded that the earlier disagreement over the commission’s location had been fully resolved.

“Our quarrel before was about being in Abuja and not being in Enugu. So, that quarrel is over now,” Kalu announced that the committee’s earlier disagreement with the commission over the location of its operations had been resolved.