Delta 2018 Budget: ‘This Lopsided Budget Was Passed To Disfavour Isoko Nation’ – An Open Letter To Gov Okowa

Isoko nation appears to be chasing a moving target as it tries to dig out of what has been described as “infrastructural genocide and annihilation of the Isoko people” in the 2018 budget of Delta State Government.

Coming under the aegis of Isoko Social Media Advocacy Community, a group in an open letter to Governor Okowa, described the 2018 budget of Delta state as lopsided budget that was passed to the disfavour of the Isoko nation.

This is coming on the backdrop of the position of state Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Kingsley Emu who had on Saturday dismissed claims that the state government had designed the budget to short changed Isoko nation.

In the letter signed on behalf of the group by, Emerhana Onoriode Paul, a lawyer and made available to BigPen Online on Sunday, the group expressed displeasure that the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration has put the development of the Isoko people on a reverse gear.

They maintained that the moves by the PDP-led administration of Okowa to ‘underdevelop Isoko nation’ is evident from the budgeting provision for the Isoko people since 2015.

Maintaining that despite the massive vote given to the governor in 2015, the 2018 budget breakdown has allegedly uncovered the “empty promises of a prosperous Delta”- a policy thrust of the government with the exclusion of the Isoko ethnic nationality.

The group which emphasized that it have carried out a “community reading of the 2018 Budget”, especially the Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) head, asserted, “we can only see the reinforcement of the under development of Isoko”.

It however mentioned some projects which ought to have made the Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) head, but have no budgetary provision, adding that such projects should be considered for the 2018 Supplementary Budget, Virement or other public finance mechanism of the state.

Specifically, the statement regretted that the Aviara Fish Farm which is a flagship ailing agricultural facility of the State Government didn’t receive any budgetary provisioning in the Agricultural sector budget, maintaining that even the N55,000,000.00 budgetary provision for ailing agro sector under the budget of the Ministry of Commerce was inadequate.

The group also regretted that under the Ministry of Science and Technology and Rural Development Agency Budget, it was zero allocation for Isoko.

The letter read in part: “The budget of the Ministry of Energy is very shocking and recast our fears. A street like Elueche / Mbanefo Onyeka in Asaba got the sum of N2,000,000.00 (budget location code 51021600) budgeted for the reinforcement of electricity supply.

“The entire Isoko got the same value for the same project. We are worried that the government now equates Isoko like every other street in Asaba. Similar projects in other ethnic groups and communities got as high as between N20,000,000.00 to N70,000,000.00”.

“On Road infrastructure, we saw communities in the same Delta South Senatorial District get as high as N500,000,000.00 for internal roads meanwhile roads linking two or more communities in Isoko can not boast of N500 million especially when the roads lead to strategic oil and gas Installations, farms etc. Aradhe – Ellu Road is for example having N60 million while Gbaramatu internal road got N500 million. Interlocking Uzere Old Road, Emede got only N50 million. This is depressing

“The Isokos are made to feel like a captured and conquered people in the face of the life and death challenges facing them in Delta state. So much so that not a few Isokos are having voter’s remorse. Your election held out a promise and hope that a new Delta State was possible but so far, that hope and expectation has turned out to be a luxurious desire as the developmental aspirations of the Isokos seem to have taken a back seat.

“Your Excellency Sir, it is pertinent at this point to let you know that we are grossly short-changed as a result of the lacunas highlighted above and we cannot help but write to express our profound displeasure over the serious level of maltreatment, wickedness, fraud, deceit and clear act of underdevelopment of the Isokos as exhibited in the recently passed 2018 Budget that failed blatantly to make provision for a fair share of basic amenities for the Isokos. Only a meagre 2.8% was voted for Capital Projects in Isoko.

“Your Excellency sir, you will also agree with us that the issues that have led youths of other ethnic nationalities into restiveness, agitation and militancy are not different from this, but we are a peaceful people and will continue to push for our rights civilly using all possible ways within the ambit of the law.

“Also worrisome is the pattern of the projects locations for Isoko. The project spread revealed that only communities fortunate to have a top politically exposed person gets patronized with project. Some communities were totally ignored while others have continuously benefited from the government. Apart from the NDDC, some communities can’t remember the last time they had anything from the Delta State Government. We believe strongly that this is inimical to good governance, democratic values and federal character. The votes comes from the entire Isoko nation and not from your benefactors communities alone”.

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