The controversy surrounding the spending practices of the South East Development Commission (SEDC) has once again highlighted the urgent need for strict oversight of Nigeria’s zonal Development Commissions. These agencies were created to serve as vehicles for accelerated regional development, not platforms for bureaucratic excess, questionable expenditures or administrative extravagance. The concerns raised over the management of the SEDC under Mark Okoye therefore deserve serious attention from the National Assembly, the Presidency and the Nigerian public.
The idea of regional Development Commissions did not begin with the current administration. Its roots can be traced to persistent calls by South-East leaders and groups who argued that the region never received adequate rehabilitation after the Nigerian Civil War despite promises made by the General Yakubu Gowon administration. Feelings of marginalisation led to various private initiatives, including the South East Development Initiative (SEDI), which struggled to achieve its objectives because it lacked sufficient funding and federal backing. A major breakthrough came in October 2017 when President Muhammadu Buhari established the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to address the devastation caused by the Boko Haram terrorism. Under its pioneer MD/CEO, Mohammed Alkali, the Commission recorded significant interventions in infrastructure, education, healthcare and humanitarian support. The relative success of the NEDC sparked demands from other geo-political zones for similar institutions.
