How Buhari can avert restiveness in Isoko, by PG

President Muhammadu Buhari has been called upon to keep his promises to Isoko communities of Delta State to discourage restiveness, by developing the area and appointing the indigenes into government offices.

The President-General, Isoko Development Union (IDU), Chief Iduh Amadhe, who decried the “gross marginalisation” of his people, despite huge contribution to the national treasury, said the worrisome situation might trigger misconduct that would cost the country a fortune.

Amadhe, while speaking with journalists in his Oleh residence, Isoko South Council, at the weekend, added that lack of electricity, healthcare and neglect by the Federal Government remained the notorious features of the area.

His words, “President Buhari had, in a meeting with monarchs and leadership of Isoko nation on July 18, 2018, promised to facilitate the completion of several federal projects littering the entire Isoko. Earlier, in December 2015, when I took over leadership of the union from Gen. Paul Omu (rtd.), I went through past records and discovered several requests made to the Federal Government without response.

“I also discovered that nothing substantial has been done and we decided to take the crusade of Isoko marginalisation to Aso Rock. At that July 2018 meeting with the president, we told him what Isoko nation had been contributing to the national till. We also reminded him that since oil was discovered in Uzere in 1958 after Oloibiri, we have not benefited from our natural resources, commensurate to our output.”

The PG recalled the delegation telling the president that no Isoko man had been appointed as a director-general, minister or managing director in any ministry, agency or parastatal, and not even a chairman of a federal board.