Despite the lofty dreams and aspirations of the newly inaugurated Southeast Development Commission (SEDC), Nigerian Human Rights Activist Prof Chidi Odinkalu thinks it will be inappropriate for Southeasterners to levy so many expectations on the Commission, given some vital reasons.
The SEDC leadership started off on a positive foot, unveiling plans for a $200 billion regional economy for the Southeast by 2035.
Meetings followed up on this vision with the five Southeast governors of Enugu, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Imo, all geared towards harnessing their support for the vision.
Several quarters believe that if the Commission can put ideologies and affiliations aside, and strive genuinely towards regional development, integration, and cooperation with a strong will, SEDC, in collaboration with the Southeast Governors Forum, should be able to deliver a lot for Ndigbo.
But, while expressing his thoughts on the Commission, Odinkalu, a Professor of Practice in International Human Rights Law at the Fletcher School, Tufts University, United States, said the weight of expectation on the SEDC seems not just unfair, but also crippling, considering what the Commission is up against.
Emphasizing that the Commission is not a substitute or rival to the governments of the Southeast, nor is the Managing Director, Mr Mark Okoye, another governor, Odinkalu noted that the Commission will go nowhere if it sets itself up or is perceived as the 6th state of the region.
He said this makes it imperative for the Commission to navigate carefully.
He also spoke of the bogus number of board members and national Assembly officials who oversee it, and who will want a piece of the Commission’s allocation.
“The Commission has been saddled with 18 board members, including a Chairman and 5 or so executive directors. Orji Uzor Kalu heads its oversight in Senate. The Deputy Speaker on the House side is busy playing its godfather.
“All these people will be expecting payoffs. Each will believe they have a stake in the budget of the Commission. They are going to be hyenas hovering around that budget.
“How much will be left after they are done? Is anyone thinking about how to help in staving off those hyenas?
“Again, the budget of the Commission is very limited. It has been given like N145bn or N146bn for this year.
“That will pay for acquisition of office, staff, overheads, cars, security retinue, travel, etc. Add the hyenas. What is left?” he queried.
Odinkalu further expressed concerns over the business model of the country’s development commissions, which he said has been far from inspiring.
According to him, for the SEDC to succeed, it must change that model, which will be very difficult.
He also expressed concerns over the Commission’s tenure, which he noted makes it difficult to achieve long-term goals, especially given its low budget.
“The Commission has a tenure of 4 years to begin.
“Even if they had all the money in the world, they will need to be practical people. They cannot expend all or most of what they have on inter-generational projects.
“Their political paymasters expect immediate payoffs that can be parlayed into electoral gain in the next election cycle.
“I do think it is ok to levy expectations on the SEDC. It is not incompatible with that to also temper our expectations with some realism,” he concluded.
