Senate questions SEDC boss over budget spending
Mark Okoye, Managing Director of the South East Development Commission, faced tough questions from the Senate over the alleged mismanagement of ₦16.6bn in the 2025 budget. The Senate Committee, led by Orji Kalu, expressed dissatisfaction with the commission’s financial report, citing concerns about transparency and unexplained expenditures. Committee members highlighted issues such as high office rental costs and unclear spending categories. The SEDC was ordered to provide detailed documentation to address these concerns.
Key takeaways
- The Senate Committee on South East Development Commission grilled Mark Okoye over the use of ₦16.6bn from the 2025 budget.
- Orji Kalu and other senators questioned expenses like ₦153m for a liaison office and ₦2.5bn labeled as “implied expenditure.”
- Preliminary findings showed only ₦13bn remained from the initial ₦16.6bn disbursed in December last year.
- Mark Okoye defended the spending, saying funds were used for priority projects, but the committee found the explanation inadequate.
- The SEDC was directed to submit full documentation, including contract and payment details, no later than the 23rd of this month.
