…Emerhana, Others Berate Isoko Council Chairmen, 3 State House Of Assembly Members For Not Attending Summit
By Godwin-Maria Utuedoye
Selfish and weak community leadership has been identified as major cause of under development in Isoko nation by the immediate past chairman of Isoko South Local Government Council, Sir Itiako Ikpokpo, as Emerhana and others frowned at the non availability and presence of the two first citizens of Isoko local governments and the three representatives in the State House of Assembly.
Ikpokpo hinted this while speaking as a guest speaker at the Okugbe-Isoko Economic Youth summit, organized by the Youth wing of Isoko Development Union IDU, in Oleh, headquarters of Isoko South local government Area of Delta State.
According to him, “It is painful that Nigeria and not Isoko alone, is suffering from the non availability of power and energy, and because there is no light, our nation has crumble economically.
“Light is life, light illuminates and the foundation of anything we do is light”.
He noted that in 2017, during tge first Isoko summit, himself and his counterpart in Isoko North, Emmanuel Egbabor, after discussing with all relevant authorities, the Benin Electricity Distribution Company BEDC, frustrated their efforts.
“And without any apologies, weak community leadership is a major cause of no power and energy generation in our Isoko communities.
“Some of these people struggle to enter into position because of the crumbs that will enter into their pockets through the community”
“As a chairman at that time, I mandated oil companies in one of our communities to stop paying money to the community, but that the money should be paid into a particular account, and that brought the community together after about 12 to13 years of internal crisis.
“When the oil company stopped the payment, both parties to the crisis came together on a round table to resolve and we were able to raised some millions of naira from that treasury which was used to settle the disputes.
“Oil companies in Isoko nation must stop using either the president general, or traditional rulers in putting crack in our communities because Isoko nation is peaceful.
“There is high production of oil in the country because there is peace in Isoko and it’s annoying that, we are the only tribe that is not controlling surveillance contracts.” Ikpokpo reveals.
On his part, Barr Paul Emerhana, berated the actions of the two local government chairmen of Isoko South and North and the three House of Assembly members for not attending the summit.
He said, “We cannot be discussing Isoko progress while both chairmen and the three House of Assembly members representing Isoko at the state House of Assembly will be absent at this critical time and it is unfair.”