Senate has queried SEDC Chairman over N153m one-room office rent and demanded accountability for N3.6bn spending.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the management of the South-East Development Commission under the leader of Mark Okoye has come under intense scrutiny after senators questioned its claim of spending N153 million to rent a one-room liaison office in Abuja.
The controversy erupted during a session of the Senate Committee on the SEDC, where lawmakers challenged the commission’s financial disclosures and demanded explanations for billions of naira already spent from funds released to the agency.
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Chairman of the committee, Orji Uzor Kalu, expressed dissatisfaction with the commission’s financial report, describing it as “completely unacceptable” while reviewing its expenditure profile.
Lawmakers also raised concerns over N2.5 billion recorded as implied expenditure and sought clarification on how funds had been utilized since the commission received N16.6 billion in December 2025.
According to information obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria, about N13 billion remained in the commission’s accounts, suggesting that approximately N3.6 billion had already been spent.
Several committee members, including Enyinnaya Abaribe, Victor Umeh and Austin Akobundu, joined in questioning the commission’s spending pattern and requested additional documentation to justify the expenditures.
Responding to the concerns, SEDC Managing Director Mark Okoye defended the agency’s financial decisions, insisting that available resources were being directed toward priority projects and that contracts were only awarded based on available funding.
Okoye argued that budgetary allocations do not automatically translate into cash availability, warning that awarding contracts without corresponding funds could expose the commission to significant financial liabilities.
Despite the explanations, senators remained unconvinced and directed the commission to provide comprehensive records of contracts awarded, payments made, and supporting financial documents on or before June 23.
The latest development has intensified scrutiny of the newly established commission’s financial management, particularly amid concerns about transparency, accountability and the effective utilization of public funds earmarked for the development of Nigeria’s South-East region.
