By Seun Ibiyemi
A coalition of civil society organisations under the banner of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations Against Corruption and Electoral Malpractice (CSOACEM) has called for the immediate suspension of the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the South East Development Commission (SEDC), Mr. Mark Okoye, pending an independent investigation into the commission’s finances and project implementation.
The coalition also announced plans to stage coordinated protests across the five South-East states and the Federal Capital Territory on June 17, 2026, as part of efforts to demand greater transparency and accountability in the operations of the commission.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, National President of CSOACEM, Comrade Uche Onoh, said the SEDC was established to drive development, infrastructure renewal and economic empowerment across the South-East but argued that its impact had yet to be meaningfully felt by residents of the region.
According to him, recent public debates and legislative scrutiny surrounding the commission’s expenditures have heightened concerns about its financial management and project execution.
“The South East people deserve answers. They deserve to know what projects have been executed. They deserve to know the status of approved projects. They deserve to know how funds released to the Commission have been utilised,” Onoh said.
He maintained that questions surrounding project delivery, expenditure patterns and the commission’s operational presence across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states required urgent clarification.
“These questions are legitimate. These questions deserve answers. These questions cannot be ignored,” he added.
Onoh disclosed that the decision to organise the demonstrations followed consultations with stakeholders across the South-East and Abuja, stressing that the protests would be peaceful and focused strictly on governance, accountability and development issues.
“Our position is not driven by politics, personal interests or vendettas. It is driven by the desire to ensure that every naira released for the development of the South East translates into visible benefits for the people,” he said.
The coalition specifically urged the Federal Government to suspend Okoye while an independent probe is conducted into the commission’s finances, expenditures and project implementation records.
“Consequently, we hereby call on the Federal Government to immediately suspend the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the South East Development Commission, Mr. Mark Okoye, pending the conclusion of an independent investigation into the finances, expenditures and project implementation records of the Commission,” Onoh stated.
He, however, clarified that the demand for suspension should not be interpreted as an allegation of wrongdoing.
“We wish to state clearly that this call for suspension should not be interpreted as a declaration of guilt. Rather, it is a necessary administrative measure to protect the integrity of the investigation and restore public confidence,” he said.
CSOACEM further demanded a forensic audit of all funds released to the commission since its inception and called for the publication of details of all awarded contracts, including contractor identities, project timelines and implementation status.
The coalition also urged the SEDC to publish comprehensive expenditure reports and expand its operational visibility across the region to strengthen public trust and accessibility.
READ ALSO:Senate grills SEDC over ₦3.6bn expenditure, demands full financial records
In addition, it called on the National Assembly and relevant anti-corruption agencies to conduct a thorough review of the commission’s activities and make the findings available to the public.
“The people of the South East have waited too long for meaningful development. They cannot afford another institution that consumes public funds without visible impact,” Onoh said.
He assured that the June 17 rallies would be conducted peacefully and in accordance with the law, while appealing to security agencies to provide adequate protection for participants.
“The South East deserves development. The South East deserves accountability. The South East deserves transparency. The South East deserves results,” he added, insisting that the demonstrations would continue until the coalition’s demands are addressed.
