OLEH/Nigeria: Barely two weeks after Ndokwa youths decried 16 years of electricity blackout, the neighbouring Isoko ethnic nationality has added its voice to the growing outcry over power neglect in Delta State. Through a passionate open letter to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, a coalition of concerned Isoko indigenes under the Banner of Enyaharo Isoko Worldwide has demanded the urgent completion of the Ughelli-Ozoro 132/33kV Transmission Station.
The group, in a strongly worded statement signed by its President, Amos Iwary, and forwarded by Chris Nwose, expressed mixed feelings about the recent commissioning of the Owa-Alero 33kV Feeder. While acknowledging the development as a welcome step, the group lamented what it described as a glaring imbalance in infrastructure delivery across the state.
“The Owa-Alero 33kV Feeder, which originates from the Agbor 2x60MVA Transmission Station, is a good development. However, its completion only underscores the abandonment of the Ughelli-Ozoro Transmission Station, conceived and awarded at the same time but left in limbo for over 14 years,” the statement said.
They questioned the rationale behind prioritizing areas like Owa-Alero in Ika North-East Local Government Area—which they argue contribute little to state or federal revenue—over the oil-rich communities of Isoko and Ndokwa. These areas host key oil and gas assets, including OML 26, 28, 30, 38, 56, 60, and 61.
“It is disheartening that those who fuel the economic engine of Delta State and Nigeria continue to suffer prolonged outages, while others with minimal economic significance enjoy uninterrupted power supply. This is not about politics—it’s a matter of equity and fairness,” the group emphasized.
The coalition dcalled on political representative elected lawmakers and appointees from the region, including Hon. Ferguson Onwo, Bino Obowomano, Bernard Odior, Charles Emetulu, and Prince Emeka Osamuta, to explain their silence on the stalled project in the face of mounting frustration among constituents.
Frustration also extended to the leadership of the Isoko Development Union and the Ndokwa Development Union, who the group accused of attending government functions without addressing the power needs of their people.
The statement stressed the critical role electricity plays in development, noting that communities in Isoko South, Isoko North, Ndokwa East, and Ndokwa West have endured near-total darkness for over a decade.
“Electricity is the bedrock of industrialisation. It is unacceptable that communities contributing so significantly to national revenue are left in neglect. The time for excuses is over,” the group declared.
Calling for urgent government intervention, the group urged Governor Oborevwori to complete the Ughelli-Ozoro Transmission Station and restore confidence in his administration’s commitment to inclusive development.
“Isoko sons and daughters in the diaspora want to come home and invest, but they cannot do so while bearing the burden of basic infrastructure like electricity alone,” the statement noted.
The appeal concluded with a call for unity among stakeholders across the Isoko and Ndokwa regions. The group urged traditional rulers, political leaders, community organisations, and youth groups to speak with one voice until the long-delayed project is brought to life.
“Let justice, equity, and true development prevail,” the coalition affirmed.
