Delta Attorney General, Finance Commissioner, Assembly’s Speaker Dragged to Court as Controversy Trails Delta’s N230 Billion Projects Approval

The Delta State Government has incurred the wrath of a section of the Isoko people over the recent approval of a whopping sum of N230 billion worth of projects across different sectors in the local government councils, of which Isoko South and Isoko North Local Government Areas of the state were excluded.

The projects awarded, which were approved last week during an Executive Council (EXCO) meeting presided over by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, had sparked controversy, with a barrage of criticism trailing them on social media.
The development, which did not go down well with a section of the people of Isoko nation, was greeted by mixed reactions, including counter-reactions from the state.

The people had expressed displeasure at the alleged marginalization of the Isoko oil-producing nation as one of the largest contributors to the nation’s treasury.

State commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, in his reaction had reaffirmed that Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration has continued to prioritize infrastructure development, healthcare, and education across all parts of Delta State, including the Isoko nation, adding that contrary to the claims,.

He claimed that the Isoko Nation has benefited immensely from the administration’s MORE Agenda, with over 53 strategic projects either completed, ongoing, or approved across Isoko North and Isoko South local government areas.

According to Aniagwu, the projects cut across road infrastructure, internal road networks in rural and urban communities, healthcare upgrades, and significant interventions in tertiary education. 

However, in a twist, Abuja-based legal practitioners Anthony Asuotu Ejumejowo and Oke Michael Aziakpono both of Isoko extraction, slammed the state government with a legal action following what they called “gross marginalization” of Isoko nation.

Ejumejowo and Aziakpono filed a suit against the State government at the Delta State High Court, sitting at Oleh, headquarters of Isoko South council, challenging the action of the State government of excluding Isoko nation from the N230 billion worth of projects in the State.

While Anthony Asuotu Ejumejowo and Oke Michael Aziakpono are the applicants, the State Attorney General, Commissiner for Finance, Delta state House of Assembly and the Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly are the Respondants respectively.

In an originating summons marked suit No/HCO/M/16/2025, between Anthony Asuotu Ejumejowo and Oke Michael Aziakpono (Applicants) and Delta State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Commissioner for Finance, Delta State House of Assembly, and Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly (1st-4th Respondents) filed by Jack T. J. (Miss), S. I. Edheki, Agbaragu Efezino and G. A. Omomuwho of Ejumejowo & Associates chamber, Abuja on behalf of the Applicants, the court was asked whether or not the State government can discriminate against the people of Isoko nation in the allocation of the resources of the State.

The originating summons brought pursuant to sections 1(3) 14(1) 15(1), 16(1), 17(1) and 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of nigeria, 1999 as amended; Order 3, Rule 15 of the Rules of the High Court of Delta State (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2009; and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court, the applicants claimed and prayed the court for the determination of the following questions.:

“That the action of the Delta State government by allocating the sum of two hundred and thirty billion naira only out of the public funds of the Delta State government for capital projects and the action of the 3rd Respondent to vote of capital projects under the Appropriation Law of Delta State, 2025 across 23 local government areas of Delta State to the exclusion of Isoko South local area and Isoko North local area and, by extension, the communities of the 1st and 2nd Applicants is discriminatory, unlawful, and unconstitutional.

“Whether or not the Delta State government can discriminate against the people of Isoko South local government and Isoko North local government in the allocation of the resources of the State. Whether the 3rd Respondent can lawfully enact an appropriation bill to discriminate against the people of Isoko South local government and Isoko North local government in the allocation of the resources of the State.

“Whether the Governor of Delta State can lawfully assent to an appropriation bill to become a law to discriminate against the people of Isoko South local government and Isoko North local government in the allocation of the resources of the State.”

The applicants, however, prayed the court for the following:

“A declaration of this honorable court that that the appropriation of the sum two hundred and thirty billion naira only out of the public funds of the Delta State Government for capital projects across 23 local government area of Delta State to the exclusion of Isoko South and Isoko North local government areas and by extension, the communities of the 1st and 2nd Applicants is discriminatory, unlawful, and unconstitutional.

“A declaration of this honorable court that the allocation of capital projects under the 2025 Appropriation Law of Delta State across 23 local government areas of Delta State to the exclusion of Isoko South and Isoko North local government areas and, by extension, the communities of the 1st and 2nd Applicant is discriminatory, unlawful and unconstitutional.

“An order of this honorable court setting aside the appropriation of the sum two hundred and thirty billion naira only by the government of Delta State out of the public funds of the Delta State Government for capital projects across 23 local government areas of Delta State to the exclusion of Isoko South and Isoko North local government areas and by extension the communities of the 1st and 2nd Applicant as being discriminatory, unlawful and unconstitutional.

“An order of this honorable court restraining the Delta State government from allocating capital projects under the 2025 Appropriation Law of Delta State across 23 local government areas of Delta State to the exclusion of Isoko South and Isoko North local government areas and by extension the communities of the 1st and 2nd Applicant as being discriminatory, unlawful and unconstitutional.

“An order of this honorable court setting aside the entirety of the Delta State Appropriation Law, 2025 for being discriminatory, unlawful, and unconstitutional. An order of this honorable court restraining the Delta State government from further discriminating against the people of Isoko South and Isoko North local government areas in the allocation of the resources of the State among the 25 local government areas.”

In an affidavit in support of the originating motion deposed to by Ejumejowo on behalf of the 2nd respondent, Aziakpono, declared that “I am the 1st Applicant in this suit by virtue of which I am conversant with the facts of this matter. That I have the consent of the 2nd Applicant to depose to this affidavit on behalf of himself and myself. That the 2nd Applicant and myself are concerned indigenes of Isoko North and Isoko South local government areas interested in the good governance of the State and in the equal treatment of the people of Isoko North and Isoko South in the enjoyment of the resources of the Delta State like the contemporaries in the other 23 local government areas.

“That the 1st Respondent is the chief law officer of the State and a representative of the government of Delta State. That the 2nd Respondent is the chief financial officer of the Delta State government. That the 3rd Respondent is the House of Assembly of Delta comprising of elected legislators representing all the 29 constituencies of the State with the constitutional responsibility of making laws for the State including the extant Appropriation Act, 2025. That the 4th Respondent is the leader of the 3rd Respondent.

“That I know for a fact that the expenditure of the Delta State government ought to be based on an annual fiscal budget duly passed by the 3rd Respondent in compliance with the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended. That I know for a fact that the Appropriation Law of Delta State, 2025 which guides the expenditure of the Delta State government, is a public document but that the said Appropriation Law is kept as if it were some secret diary of the governor and a few selected politicians that now view the resources of the state as their personal property and investment that the dish out to the people according to their whims and caprice.

“That the Delta State government sometime in July 2025 announced the award of various infrastructure contracts across 23 local government areas amounting to a total of two hundred and thirty billion naira only to the exclusion of the Isoko South and Isoko North local government areas and, by extension, to the 2nd Applicant and I.That the sum of two hundred and thirty billion naira only for the said projects in the 23 local government areas is to be funded by the public fund of the Delta State government.

“That since the assumption of office by the current governor, the government of Delta State has discriminated against the people of Isoko South and Isoko North local government areas by placing the development of his local government area and the other local government areas of his ethnic group and that of his predecessor far and above other local government areas as if the people of Isoko South and Isoko North local government areas are second-class citizens and not indigenes of Nigeria and Delta State respectively. That the government of Delta State has continued to take the peaceful and loving nature of the people of Isoko South and Isoko North local government areas for granted and continued to discriminate,” the aggrieved applicants stated.