The group accused the governor of "nepotism and clannishness", describing it as "cancerous".
A pressure group known as Isoko Monitoring Group (IMG) Worldwide has berated Delta state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, over his management of the tertiary schools in the state.
The group accused the governor of "nepotism and clannishness", describing it as "cancerous".
The group, in a communiqué issued at the end of an enlarged emergency extraordinary meeting held Thursday, at its headquarters, Ivrogbo-Irri, Isoko South Local Government Area, Delta state, said, "Following cumulative occurrences in the state, the Isoko Monitoring Group (IMG) is pushed to conclude that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has and is entrenching nepotism in all facets of his administration of our dear Delta State".
The communiqué, titled: "Neglect Of Delta State University, Oleh Campus And The Poor Development Of Delta State University Of Science And Technology Ozoro Unacceptable", was signed on behalf of the group by Kingsley Oroh.
The group warned the governor not to take the simplicity of the people of Isoko nation for stupidity.
The statement said, "We wish to express our total dissatisfaction at the manner with which the Delta State Governor, His Excellency, Sen. (Dr.) Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa is piloting the affairs of our dear state, especially as it affects the development of tertiary institutions in Delta state.
"Suffice it to say that the Law and Engineering Faculties of Delta State University, Oleh Campus, which have been in existence for decades have been wickedly deprived of development and have been perpetually abandoned by the state government for no justifiable reason. The campus lacks functional facilities, good laboratories, manpower, and good road network.
"It is a shame on the government that Isoko sons and daughters have been funding the supposed state university after several pleas to the state government have fallen on deaf ears. While this unwarranted underdevelopment persisted, the state governor hurriedly established three new state universities, among which is the University of Science and Technology, Ozoro.
"Unknowing to us, this was a well concocted plot by the governor to kill all tertiary institutions in the state in favour of the newly created University of Delta, Agbor that has a campus in the governor's hometown, Owa-Alero. While both the old Oleh campus and newly established university in Ozoro lay fallow and undeveloped, the same government is speedily and massively developing the Faculties of Law, Engineering and Medicine at the Owa-Alero Campus of the University of Agbor.
"A proposed University of Education (as the Governor wanted Deltans to believe) now has Faculties of Law, Engineering and Medicine with massive construction ongoing funded by proceeds of Crude Oil and gas from six (6) flow stations and four (4) gas plants in the Isoko nation whereas the governor by his actions and inactions, has already declared the death sentence on the Oleh Campus of the Delta State University which hosts the Faculties of Law and Engineering.
"To show the Governors’ true intent, a bill has been hurriedly put together and sent to the House of Assembly to give legal backing to the establishment of the Faculties of Law, Engineering and Medicine in addition to the Faculty of Education which the university was meant to focus on being a University of Education.
"Governor Okowa may want to make us believe that the huge infrastructural and manpower investment the University of Delta State, Agbor is receiving is because the university was just recently upgraded from a College of Education to a university. If that is the case, we want governor Okowa to explain to the Isoko people why the Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro which was also recently upgraded from a polytechnic to a university status is not receiving similar level of investment.
"The IMG thinks the only reason this is the case is because the Delta State University of Science and Technology is not located at Owa-Alero, Okowa’s hometown. We see governor Okowa’s huge investment in the University at Owa-Alero while neglecting the university campuses sited in Isoko land, as an extension of the ‘Ikanisation', nay, ‘Owa-Alerolisation’ policy of the Delta state government under governor Okowa to the education sector and a deliberate ploy to relegate to the background.
"And kill all tertiary institutions in Delta state, especially Oleh Campus and University of Science and Technology, Ozoro in favour of his hometown, Owa-Alero Campus and University of Delta, Agbor. This is totally unacceptable to us and in the next few days, should this lopsidedness not be addressed, we will be left with no option but to mobilise all well-meaning Isoko sons and daughters globally to begin to see governor Okowa as an enemy of the Isoko nation."
The group therefore demanded that governor Okowa should as a matter of urgency extend the quality and speedy developmental projects at Owa-Alero campus which also has a newly built specialist hospital to Oleh campus and University of Science and Technology, Ozoro, "knowing that the governor's hometown and ethnic group does not contribute half of what Isoko contributes to the treasury of Delta State".