Amidst allegations of poor performance and an alleged bogus but unrealistic vision against the Southeast Development Commission, SEDC, a rights activist, Professor Chidi Odinkalu has maintained that the leadership of the Commission comprises capable hands with the experience and will to accomplish laudable goals for the Southeast region.
Odinkalu, however, believes the mandates of the Commission have been largely unfunded.
Odinkalu was reacting to a recent publication on a provisional rail operating and track access license secured by the South West Development Commission (SWDC) from the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), and the reactions portraying the SEDC leadership as docile.
He alleged that President Bola Tinubu did not create the Regional Development Commissions, RDCs, for development, but rather as appointments for the boys.
According to him, the leadership of the Commissions, as a result, ‘are casting about for what to do, while the Ministry at the center, which is supposed to co-ordinate them, is fleecing them.’
The rights activist expressed the view that the SEDC appears to be better run than its peers, but said there is still a need for more hard work.
On why the SEDC could not secure such a license, Odinkalu noted that few Southeast states have usable rail for the Commission to operate.
“All the rail tracks you point to in Southeast from Uzuakoli through Aba to Enugu are colonial installations built for extraction. There is hardly any viable rolling stock in the region.
“The rail projects under Buhari bypassed the Southeast. So, the region is entirely misaligned with the gauge in other parts of the country.
“That is not an SEDC project. It is a Federal Ministry of Transport project with the state governments.
“It is interesting that we are not asking our state governments for rail. The combined budgets of the five states of Southeast Nigeria in 2026 is over N4.5 trillion.
“Enugu State alone has a 2026 budget of N1.6 trillion. Abia has over 1 trillion.
“From all of its 2025 and 2026 budgets, the SEDC has so far received a take-off grant of N5billion plus a supplement of N2.2 billion. Is that the money to use and provide rail?
“I believe that is why the SEDC is looking for unusual partnerships with private capital,” Odinkalu said.
