The South East Development Commission (SEDC) is under increasing scrutiny from regional stakeholders over allegations of incompetence, lack of transparency, and failure to deliver tangible development outcomes for the South East.
Despite reports that the commission has received billions of naira in federal allocations, critics say it has not provided clear accounts of its operational and logistics spending, nor delivered visible projects that justify its existence.
The absence of measurable impact has fueled concerns that funds earmarked for regional development may have been misused.
The Igbo Community Association FCT has strongly rejected explanations offered by the Managing Director of the SEDC, Mr. Mark Okoye, describing the commission as an institution that has deviated from its founding mandate.
The association, which represents South Easterners living in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, accused the SEDC of operating more as a patronage structure than a development agency.
Speaking for the group, its President-General, Engr. Ikenna Ellis-Ezenekwe, criticised the lack of clarity around the commission’s plans and activities.
“We don’t even know what the plans of the SEDC are. There is no clear roadmap, no visible projects, nothing to show. It has simply become a means to settle the boys. We, the South Easterners, will not accept that,” he said.
Criticism intensified during the inaugural meeting of the Igbo Renaissance Union (IRU), where its President, Dr. Philip Ukonu, delivered a strong rebuke of the SEDC leadership.Dr. Ukonu described the commission as a “jamboree agency,” accusing it of gross negligence and an inability to manage its regional mandate.
He said the agency had failed to meet public expectations and that its continued operation in its current form amounted to a disservice to the South East.
According to Ukonu, the shortcomings of the SEDC were evident from inception, citing an initial leadership composition dominated by political loyalists and conflicting interests rather than development professionals.
He further alleged that the commission had degenerated into a platform for wasteful spending following the release of billions of naira, with public funds allegedly expended on luxury travel, conferences, and social activities, while critical infrastructure projects remained unattended.Ukonu warned that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, bears moral and political responsibility to intervene.
He said failure to dismantle and reconstitute the commission would amount to endorsing waste, patronage, and continued marginalisation of the South East.He argued that only a comprehensive restructuring would enable the SEDC to deliver results comparable to those of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
“The South East deserves real development, not excuses, incompetence, or political settlements,” Ukonu said.
As scrutiny continues, stakeholders insist that the SEDC must either demonstrate accountability through transparency and visible projects or risk losing public confidence in the region it was established to serve.
