THE Isoko Development Union, IDU, has told President Muhammadu Buhari to address the age long marginalization of the Isoko people as a practical demonstration of moving them to the next level.
IDU, in a letter addressed to President Buhari, urged the Federal Government to “Put pressure on Heritage Energy Services Ltd to relocate their head office from Lagos to Delta state with a renewed commitment to citizenship behavior and corporate social responsibility.”
The letter signed by the union’s President General, Chief Iduh Amadhe, Secretary, Prof Chris Akpotu and Publicity Secretary, Chief Dan Odhomo said the Isoko people had “enjoyed mere ‘watch them grow’ status in terms of federal government ministerial/ambassadorial/Chairman of federal board appointment since 1999.”
It lamented that the Isoko people had been “environmentally degraded, economically crushed, socially mangled and politically diminished”, saying “the crescendo of our marginalization has been struck with the insensitivity to our plight shown in the bidding of 57 marginal oil fields in Delta State.”
The letter stressed the need for government to “link up Isoko riverine communities like Okugbe Isoko kingdom Cannnan-Irri through special special road projects to the mainland.”
It urged the Federal Government to “mobilize for speedy completion of all abandoned NDDC projects in Isoko land. This is in addition to fast tracking the ongoing forensic audit of the commission as we strongly believe that this will ensure speedy development and enhance administrative integrity of the commission.
