By Michael Ilaya
A renowned and foremost Ozoro Social Cultural Group, Ozoro Vanguard, in Ozoro kingdom, Administrative Headquarters of Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State has recently registered their grievances and frustrations over what they described as conspicuous and reprehensible neglect, marginalization and prolonged systemic short-changing of Ozoro Kingdom by the Governor Oborevwori Sheriff led Delta State Government.
This was contained in an open letter to the Delta State Executive Governor by the group made up of concerned Ozoro Sons and Daughters made available to The Isoko Nation.
The group decried the neglect of Ozoro Kingdom irrespective of it being the second biggest community in the entire Delta South Senatorial District with a very high indigenous population, hosting a staggering estimated population of over 200,000 inhabitants and a significant contributor to Nigeria’s oil wealth while it has remained politically marginalized and economically neglected.
Stating further their grievances, the statement added that “Your Excellency, our voting strength is over 40% of the total registered voters’ of Isoko North LGA.
“Ozoro people have consistently and overwhelming been giving their electoral support to every succeeding government since 1999, and even the 2023 governorship election that brought you into office. Yet Ozoro Sons and Daughters have not been given any viable appointments to justify our electoral contributions toward your emergence. The records are there for you to verify.
“Ozoro Kingdom, which comprises of several communities, is the largest and most populous in Isoko nation and the second largest Community in Delta South Senatorial District of Delta State, hosts a staggering estimated population of over 200,000 inhabitants, cueing from the estimated population of 186,000 people, based on the 2006 National Population Census”.
According to the group, the injustice runs deeper than political marginalization as despite the wealth extracted from Ozoro soil, the people remain impoverished, with little to no state presence in terms of infrastructure, employment, or social welfare, roads are left to deteriorate, schools remain underfunded, and healthcare is almost non-existent.
“Ozoro Kingdom is blessed with about 40 oil wells and sufficient gas with a daily production of over 7,000 barrels of crude oil .This crude oil quota is contributing huge financial resources to the Federal Government. Also, The Ozoro Kingdom is the head of the OML26, the major host community of the Ogini Flow-station of the OML26”.
However, the group while commending the Governor for some feats particularly for upgrading the Delta State University of science and technology Ozoro, to a full-fledged University, expressed reservations over some vexatious infrastructural decay in the kingdom.
“Your Excellency, the rapid growth of Ozoro Kingdom is without basic infrastructures like roads, drainage system, electricity and inadequate health care facilities. As a result, the Kingdom has resorted to self help to marginally open few roads, which within a short time became impassable, leading to flooding.
“It looks as if Ozoro Kingdom has lost her fair share of government patronage. This is because, the few projects that have been sited in the University by successive governments have been regarded as Ozoro share of Delta State government projects, whereas, the University is not only for the Ozoro indigenes but for the entire Delta state and Nigeria at large.
“Your Excellency, we wish to draw your attention to the fact that, the only visible Delta state government project in Ozoro Kingdom apart from the few sited in the University is the uncompleted Ozoro main market that has spanned three administration, and still not completed .
The Ozoro Vanguard condemned the plethora of abandoned projects littering Ozoro landscape, describing it “as a sign of deliberate and lack of government’s commitment to our development as a kingdom”, challenging state government to showcase any state government project that has been completed and commissioned in Ozoro Kingdom since 1999 apart from the few in the University.
The group listed the abandoned projects by government agencies to include DESOPADEC: NDC to Hospital road, Ozoro dualization project, DESOPADEC Model School in Erovie Community , Ozoro Kingdom, and Peter Okoro Street, Urude Community,Ozoro.
Others in the roll call of DESOPADEC abandoned projects are Omuabor lane, off NDC road done up to stone base abandoned and the construction of Ototie Street Etevie community, Ozoro
On NDDC contracts abandoned include 1.132/33KV Substation and power line, the NDDC 28.6km Ozoro Township roads, A 50 bed ward at Ozoro General Hospital , the Ozoro Section of Ofagbe-Orie , Idheze and Ozoro roads awarded by NDDC.
Others include the construction of Alua Street with drainages, Construction of Egwedhe Street with drainages, ICT center awarded by NDDC at the Southern Delta University, Skills Acquisition Center, Over 12 Water scheme projects and the dredging of Owhen Lake among others.
The group emphasized that Your Excellency, what we feel as a people, is that there is a deliberate attempt to underdevelop Ozoro kingdom. Because what we have is an unending list of abandoned projects”, the statement added.
