At a time when the Isoko people are crying out in frustration, disappointment, and anger over consistent marginalization, it is both disturbing and regrettable that Hon. Jonathan Ajirioghene Ukodhiko has chosen to write what can best be described as a tone-deaf and self-serving piece, titled: Gov. Oborevwori Has Not Abandoned Isoko Federal Constituency:
Setting the Records Straight.
We, the members of Isoko-Nation Progressive Like-Minds (INPLM), under the leadership of Comrade Ilaya Efemena Beckly, categorically reject this narrative and demand that Hon. Jonathan Ukodhiko Ajirioghene apologizes to the Isoko people for attempting to whitewash a deeply rooted issue of systemic neglect with a list of half-baked projects and political grammar.
Truth Is Sacred, Not Sentiment
Hon. Ukodhiko’s article reads more like a public relations job for the state government than a sincere representation of the true condition of Isoko Federal Constituency.
The truth remains: Isoko Nation has been sidelined, underdeveloped, and grossly underrepresented under the current administration.
No matter how long the list of road patches and health center renovations may be, they pale in comparison to what other ethnic groups in Delta State are receiving.
Isoko is the second-largest oil-producing ethnic group in Delta State, yet our communities lack the basic social and economic infrastructure that reflect such contribution.
We must ask ourselves:
•Where are the major legacy projects in Isoko?
•Why are strategic government institutions, industries, and high-impact infrastructures sited elsewhere?
•Why does Isoko always get leftover attention only when voices rise?
A Parade of Mediocrity Is Not Development
The projects Hon. Jonathan Ukodhiko Ajirioghene listed, roads here, health center painting there, internal roads with no clear economic benefit are at best the barest minimum. They are not favours from the state, they are rights of the people.
In a state budget exceeding ₦700 billion, how much has been allocated directly to transform the economic base of Isoko land?
What industries have been initiated to reduce youth unemployment?
What strategic investments have been made in agriculture, education, or digital infrastructure that will move Isoko into the future?
The Southern Delta University, Ozoro, was a project of the previous administration and even that was not sited with a clear plan to benefit the host communities.
Where is the funding?
Where are the host community employment quotas?
Infrastructure alone is not development when it doesn’t translate into jobs and income.
A Representative Should Defend His People, Not Power
It is disappointing that Hon. Jonathan Ukodhiko, who holds a sacred mandate to speak on behalf of the Isoko people at the Federal level, is using his voice to defend the government against his own constituents.
Rather than lending credence to the loud and legitimate outcry of neglect by Isoko youth, elders, and stakeholders, he has chosen to gaslight the people with politically motivated narratives thereby losing touch with the pain, frustration, and aspirations of the very people who sent him to Abuja.
This is a betrayal of trust, and it must not go unchallenged.
Hon. Jonathan Ukodhiko, You Owe Isoko People an Apology
We are not asking for war.
We are not seeking to fight the government.
We are only demanding what is fair and due to us and that is equal development, fair representation, and dignified treatment.
To respond to such demands with a speech that dismisses our reality is an insult to every Isoko son and daughter.
Hon. Jonathan Ukodhiko must understand Your primary allegiance is to your people, not to the governor.
When the people are hunted and hurted, you speak for them, not against them. When the land is dry and forgotten, you cry louder than they can. That is what leadership means.
We demand that you retract your insensitive statement and issue a public apology to the Isoko Nation, not because of politics, but because you misrepresented the truth and failed in your duty to stand with your people at a critical time.
INPLM’s Stand: We Will Not Be Silenced
At INPLM, our loyalty is not to government, not to parties, not to personalities but to Isoko progress and generational justice. We are a youth-driven, truth-driven pressure group, and we will continue to hold leaders accountable until the Isoko voice is heard, and Isoko land is developed to the standard it deserves.
We call on the Executive Governor,
Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, amongst other things, to
1. Engage in direct dialogue with authentic Isoko stakeholders, not just political allies.
2. Commission bold, economic-driven projects that will stand as lasting legacies in Isoko land.
3. End the era of tokenism and crumbs passed to Isoko in the name of development.
Until these happen, there will be no peace in silence.
This is not about Hon. Jonathan Ukodhiko alone. It’s about every political office holder who has chosen silence or sycophancy over truth.
It is about the need to return to people-first leadership, leadership that listens, that speaks truth to power, and that dares to fight for those it represents.
The days of sugarcoated lies are over. Isoko deserves real answers, real development, and real leadership.
Let the records reflect that INPLM, under the leadership of Comrade Ilaya Efemena Beckly, will remain a watchtower for the Isoko people not just in words, but in action.
Enough is enough. The time is now.
Comrade Ilaya Efemena Beckly
Founder/President
Isoko-Nation progressive Like-Minds (INPLM).
Email: isokonationprogressivelikemind@gmail.com
