The newly inaugurated board chairman of the South East Development Commission (SEDC), Dr Emeka Wogu, has expressed his gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for appointing him and his colleagues to the commission.
He also commended the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, for proposing the bill to establish SEDC and the National Assembly members who facilitated its passage.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues shortly after their inauguration in Abuja yesterday, Wogu, a former Minister of Labour and Productivity, assured that the commission would exceed expectations and contribute to the overall development of the Southeast region.
He emphasised the importance of implementing impactful, high-value projects that would create jobs.
The Board chair also thanked the minister of regional development, Abubakar Momoh, who oversaw the inauguration and set the tone with a roadmap that the commission would follow.
The former minister reiterated the commission’s commitment to upholding the oath of office and fulfilling the president’s expectations.
He said: “I am here on behalf of my colleagues on the Board to thank Almighty God for making it possible for us to be here today. We have profound gratitude to the president and Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for making it possible for all of us to be appointed into these two commissions, particularly the South East.
“The passing and assenting to the South East Development Commission bill signifies a milestone in the lives of southeasterners right from 1970. I want to equally commend the Rt—hon. deputy speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu, who proposed the bill to establish this SEDC. I also want to commend other members of the National Assembly who made it possible for the bill to be passed.
“Hon. minister, we have listened to you. Your speech is befitting of a roadmap. You set the tone, and we shall follow your speech in detail, and from there, we shall develop our roadmap. It’s quite insightful, and I want to reassure you that we must adhere to the oath of office we took today. We must not observe it in breach. We must not violate it. We thank you for making it possible for this to happen today. We are very happy that we have been inaugurated.
“My colleagues and I are privileged to assume this monumental role assigned to us by Mr President, and we are conscious of what he expects us to do. We want to reassure you that Mr. President, through the creation of this commission, has once again showcased his exemplary leadership by fulfilling a long-awaited promise to the people of the South East of Nigeria.
“He has done his part, and looking at the quality of people inaugurated today, I know we will exceed the expectations. Our goal is to contribute to the region’s overall development by implementing impactful high-value projects that can create jobs.”