SEDC Under Mark Okoye: A Parade of Meetings, A Dearth of Action
Since the inauguration of the South East Development Commission (SEDC) under Mark Okoye’s leadership, the region has been presented with a constant cycle of activities: meetings, courtesy visits, stakeholder engagements, and public assurances. On paper and in press photos, the commission appears diligently engaged. Yet, for the people of the Southeast, a pressing question remains unanswered: when will the tangible work of development begin?
From Abuja to state capitals, SEDC officials have been conspicuously present. Press releases chronicle one “strategic consultation” after another, each framed as a step toward regional transformation. But for a region grappling with crumbling infrastructure, severe youth unemployment, poor federal connectivity, and sustained economic marginalization, these dialogues have yielded no visible projects or measurable progress.
The commission’s recent regional tour presented a critical opportunity. It was a chance to move beyond dialogue and secure concrete, binding commitments from the five Southeast governors. Reasonable expectations included specific budgetary allocations and agreed funding frameworks for shared regional projects—the very cooperation needed to tackle cross-state challenges like roads, industrial corridors, erosion, and power.
No such commitments were made public.
Development is not declared in meetings;it is demonstrated on the ground. The Southeast has no shortage of ideas or expertise. What it desperately lacks is execution. Roads are still impassable, industrial hubs remain dormant, erosion devours homes, and youth continue to depart in droves. In this context, an endless cycle of meetings feels increasingly detached from the people’s daily struggles.
Leading a development commission requires more than consultations and goodwill tours. It demands clear timelines, funded projects, transparent agreements, and public accountability. Thus far, SEDC’s activities under Okoye have not been matched by a public roadmap or any physical projects people can identify.
More concerning is the familiar pattern of vague assurances—”plans are underway,” “frameworks being developed”—phrases that too often in Nigerian governance precede silence. The absence of commitments backed by budgets or legislative action renders these promises hollow.
This is not a call for confrontation, but for clarity and consequence. If SEDC is serious about its mandate, the people deserve straightforward answers:
· What specific projects have been approved?
· What funds have been secured and allocated?
· What are the realistic timelines for ground-breaking and completion?
· How will progress and success be measured?
Without this transparency, public engagements risk becoming merely performative—well-choreographed but ultimately empty.
The Southeast cannot afford another institution that excels in symbolism while failing in substance. The region’s challenges are too severe, and its people’s patience too worn, for a leadership that prioritizes optics over outcomes.
History will not judge the number of meetings held. It will judge the roads built, the jobs created, and the communities secured.
SEDC still has a window to redefine its legacy. But that begins with one irreversible step: moving beyond promises, and finally committing to action.
Engr. Chibuzo Robinson Okoye
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