Former member of the House of Representatives from Imo State, Tony Nwulu, has called on stakeholders across the South East to remain committed to the success of the South East Development Commission (SEDC) through sustained support and collaborative efforts. He cautioned against any actions or tendencies that could weaken the institution during its critical formative period.
Appeal for Unity
Nwulu made the appeal in a statement titled “SEDC Must Not Become a Casualty of Politics,” issued to mark the birthday of the pioneer Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Mark Okoye. He emphasized that the Commission was established to address long-standing challenges in the region, including infrastructure deficits, economic disruptions, environmental degradation, and rising youth unemployment.
According to him, the South East had waited for decades for the establishment of the Commission, making it imperative for all stakeholders to set aside political differences and work collectively to ensure the agency fulfills its mandate. “The South East waited for decades for the establishment of the South East Development Commission (SEDC). It was conceived not as a political trophy, but as a strategic intervention to address years of infrastructure deficits, economic dislocation, environmental degradation, youth unemployment, and the developmental challenges confronting our region,” he stated.
Concerns Over Oversight
The former lawmaker expressed concern over recent public exchanges involving the Managing Director before the Senate Committee on SEDC. He noted that while legislative oversight is necessary, there is growing concern among people of the region that the line between accountability and public humiliation is becoming blurred. Nwulu maintained that no public official should be shielded from scrutiny, but argued that oversight should not create an atmosphere capable of weakening a young institution.
“There is a significant difference between demanding accountability and creating an atmosphere that appears designed to ridicule, diminish, or politically weaken an institution that is still finding its feet. The South East cannot afford to destroy its own institutions before they mature,” he said.
Defense of MD Okoye
Speaking in defense of the SEDC Managing Director, Nwulu noted that Okoye inherited the responsibility of building a new institution from scratch rather than an already established agency with existing structures and institutional memory. “Mark Okoye did not inherit a fully established development commission with decades of systems, personnel, and institutional memory. He inherited a mandate. He inherited expectations. He inherited the burden of transforming an idea into a functioning institution capable of delivering meaningful development to millions of people,” he added.
He further stated that building such an institution requires patience, strategic thinking, stakeholder management, and support from political leaders genuinely interested in the progress of the South East. Nwulu also questioned why institutions created for the region often face their toughest battles from within, noting that regional development commissions across the country are generally seen as vehicles for promoting collective aspirations rather than victims of political rivalries.
Impact on Investor Confidence
The former federal legislator and Director General of Youth In Parliament Forum warned that excessive public confrontations surrounding the commission could hurt investor confidence, weaken public trust, and damage the credibility of the SEDC. “The unfortunate reality is that the damage is not done to Mark Okoye alone. The damage is done to investor confidence. The damage is done to public trust. The damage is done to the credibility of the Commission. Most importantly, the damage is done to the developmental aspirations of the South East,” he stated.
Call for Collective Support
While acknowledging the constitutional responsibility of senators to exercise oversight, Nwulu urged political leaders to ensure that such engagements strengthen rather than weaken institutions. He called on stakeholders across the region to unite behind the commission and resist turning governance into political spectacle. “The SEDC must not become another casualty of political rivalry. The Commission belongs neither to Mark Okoye nor to any political office holder. It belongs to the people of the South East. Its success belongs to all of us. Its failure would affect all of us,” he said.
Nwulu emphasized that the people of the South East are more interested in tangible development outcomes, including roads, industries, jobs, investments, technology hubs, and youth empowerment, than in political drama.
