The Truth Must Be Told About Isoko Nation

In as much as we continue to praise our Isoko politicians and entrepreneurs for one political or entrepreneurial contribution in the region, there is need to correct this overbearing trend that has eaten deeply into Isoko people generally called ‘Greediness and Selfishness’. It is sad that our respected Isoko politicians have succeeded in fabricating lies on leadership development in the region without creating job opportunities for our growing youths.

Isoko nation backwardness could also be traced to our acclaimed Isoko entrepreneurs that failed to develop the region than building gigantic business empires across the globe. How many Isoko politicians and entrepreneurs can boast of giving Isoko youths educational scholarship scheme to Masters Degree or PhD level? What we have in Isoko today is displaying of wealth and fame at burial and wedding ceremonies where poorly paid Masters of Ceremonies would praise these failed personalities who merely throw crisp of naira notes on them and refused to develop Isoko nation. Isoko is blessed naturally, materially, musically and financially but the issue here is that our politicians and entrepreneurs have not translated these blessings into reality due to self-centred characters in the region.

For over the years, no successful Isoko man or woman that lives abroad has teamed together to have a concert to pay Isoko local musicians to perform in their programmes unlike the Yorubas or Igbos who encourage their own to grow financially. There is no political or entrepreneurial father or mother to look up to as a mentor or mentress because their wealth has not made any significant impact in the region.

For Isoko respected personalities, majority of these celebrated rich individuals prefer to help in crowd than individual, where their praises could be honoured. Isoko people are hospitable and sociable but the fact remains that our celebrated rich Isoko people have abysmally failed this generation. If we cannot help ourselves now, how Isoko can move forward in this present competitive regional development in the world. The present two local government chairmen always complain bitterly on the paucity of funds at their disposals due to lack of industries and other infrastructural developments in the region. No local government can grow easily without generating internal revenue to boost its development. Our so-called Isoko celebrated entrepreneurs are capable of building gigantic industries that can create massive employment for Isoko graduate and non-graduate youths that can attract taxes to the local governments. If the Igbo region can site branch of their industries in their villages, what stop Isoko entrepreneurs to invest in the region?

Despite that Isoko has 19 clans; there is no vital infrastructural development in the region. Many Isoko young talents are wasting away as a result of lack of sponsorship from these entrepreneurs and politicians who prefer to build big mansions in their villages as a sign of achievement. The worst is that these men and women only display their fame at public functions in their admiration of praise-singers’ musicians and nothing more. Isoko nation would not develop if we continue to exhibit greediness and selfishness among our rich personalities. An Ajegunle-Itsekeri born musician who now turns a multi- millionaire today, Oritse Femi was singlehandedly sponsored by Chief Emami Ayiri of Itsekeri kingdom.What do we have today in Isoko region ‘promises without fulfilment’. We cannot separate talent from creativity rather pursuing education without our celebrated personalities creating jobs for our youths. The most promising business of an average rich Isoko man or woman is hospitality which directly has adverse effect on Isoko economy.

I hereby challenge all Isoko celebrated personalities to tell us their contributions to Isoko development over the years. The level of poverty in Isokoland could be traced to our Isoko politicians who never met well for the people except few ones. My recent research on Isoko nation indicated that Isoko rich personalities prefer to help in the crowd where their names would be praised all over the places than helping individually talented youths. Prof Sir Uwafor of Edo State, a great musician would not have rose to fame and remained honour today, if Edolites would not have aided his talent. Many Isoko highlife musicians who sung alongside with Sir Uwafor could not fulfil their destines due to lack of sponsorship and recognition from our selfish politicians and entrepreneurs in the region. How many successful Isoko people value passion and creativity among our youths? A story once told that an Isoko man was in a top position of one of the Lagos-based flagship companies and he wanted to employ some Isoko young graduates, only requested for their Masters Degrees, the job specification required First Degree but these young graduates decided to go for their Masters Degrees to PhD levels. When they returned to get the job, the man said they were overqualified for the job.Today; this said man has retired without helping any Isoko man into this blue chip company in Nigeria.

Several stories had been told on some characters of our so-called rich Isoko politicians and entrepreneurs that failed to help humanity than working for their selfish and egocentric manners. Building big mansions all over Isokoland to intimidate the poor is one character of majority of wealthy Isoko people where reptiles are now friends to these mansions. In grassroots sports, Isoko is backward; it needs people of vision to develop sports in the region. What Isoko people need now not political promises but how these politicians and entrepreneurs can use their positions to influence industries to the region to create employment opportunities for our graduates. Highly placed entrepreneurs have emerged from Isokoland but failed to develop the region for one reason or the other. In terms of tourism, some Isoko villages can be used as tourism centres that can generate revenues for our two local governments. We can go on and on to talk about Isoko failed region but let our politicians and entrepreneurs have change of attitudes towards Isoko development.

Finally, time is coming in Isokoland when all these celebrated politicians and entrepreneurs would be stoned out of their villages and towns for lack of developing the region. In other regions in Nigeria, you can see emeritus professors, entrepreneurs and politicians setting up private universities and polytechnics in their villages but Isoko own to be waiting for political appointments or conferences where they can exhibit their academic knowledge.Entreprenurial driving mind

still lagging behind in the region. The issue of helping each other to rise in Isoko is a big problem that needed urgent deliverance now. Must everybody bury his or her body for you before you can help someone in life? It is time we moved away from these destructive criticisms and embraced constructive criticisms to develop Isoko region with one love and unity.

Godday Odidi
Social Media Analyst/Entrepreneur
08058124798
Lagos

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Articles by Godday Odidi