The Nigerian Senate has confirmed Hon. Mark Okoye as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer and Dr. Emeka Nworgu as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the South East Development Commission (SEDC).

The Senate also approved the appointments of 18 other nominees to the SEDC governing board, including Barr. Ugochukwu H. Agballah, Hon. Okey Ezenwa, Chief Hyacinth Ikpor, Chidi Echeazu, Barr. Ifeanyi Agwu Ph.D, Nasiru Usman, Hamma Adama Ali Kumo, Edward David Onoja, Orure Kufre Inima, Daniel Akwari, Chief (Mrs.) Joke Adebayo-Chukwuma, Rt. Hon. Stanley Ohajuruka (Executive Director, Finance), Chief Sylvester Okonkwo (E.D. Corporate Services), Hon. Toby Okechukwu (E.D. Projects), Senator Anthony Agbo (E.D. Commercial and Industrial Development), and Dr. Clifford Ogbede (E.D. Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development).

The confirmation followed the presentation of a screening report by the Senate Adhoc Committee on Regional Development Commissions, chaired by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North. According to the committee’s report, the nominees demonstrated competence and readiness to handle the affairs of their respective commissions during the screening exercise.

Similarly, nominees for the North West Development Commission (NWDC) were confirmed. These include Alhaji Lawal Samai’la Abdullahi as Chairman and Professor Abdullahi Shehu Ma’aji as Managing Director and CEO, alongside other board members such as Dr. Yahaya Umar Namahe, Hon. Aminu Suleiman, Ja’afar Abubakar Sadeeq, Yahaya Aminu Abdullahi, Hon. Engr. Muhammad Ali Wudil, Shamsu Sule, Nasidi Ali, Chukwu Chijtoke, Ahmed Mohammed, Engr. Ahmed Rufai Timasantyu, Macdonalds Michael Uyi, and Hon. Babatunde Dada.

Four weeks prior, President Bola Tinubu had submitted a revised list of nominees for the governing boards of the regional development commissions to the Senate for confirmation. Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the nominees to the Adhoc Committee on Regional Development Commissions for screening.

During the confirmation, the committee members warned the nominees to prioritize transparency and accountability in their roles, assuring them that the Senate would closely monitor their performance and not hesitate to recommend dismissal for unethical conduct.

In his remarks, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu emphasized the critical importance of the commissions’ mandates and the need for responsible governance. “The development commissions must uphold the highest standards of transparency and accountability to deliver on their objectives,” he stated.

The Senate confirmed the nominees through voice votes after adopting the committee’s report. This confirmation marks another step in enhancing regional development efforts through the operationalization of the SEDC and NWDC governing boards.