Former House of Representatives member and 2023 Labour Party Senatorial Candidate for Ebonyi South, Hon. Linus Okorie, has dismissed the Federal Government’s claims of prioritizing South-East economic regeneration under President Bola Tinubu as an “illusion of economic progress.” Speaking to journalists in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, on Monday, Okorie labeled the administration’s touted development efforts in the region as “representation without results” and a “beautiful illusion.”
Okorie, who represented Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal Constituency from 2011 to 2019, sharply criticized a recent press release from the Federal Ministry of Works titled “South-East Economic Regeneration Top Priority in President Tinubu’s National Development Plan.” He described the document as riddled with contradictions, offering lofty promises but delivering only “a patchwork of inherited or marginal interventions.”
Highlighting issues of geographical conflation, deliberate misinformation, and recycled projects, Okorie accused the Ministry of “intellectual dishonesty” for presenting road projects like the Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene, Ikot Ekpene–Aba, and Port Harcourt–Aba roads—primarily located in South-South states—as evidence of South-East transformation. He noted that the Abia State government had taken over significant portions of the Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene road due to federal neglect, a fact the Ministry reframed as “collaboration.”
Okorie further debunked claims that the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway would benefit the South-East via the Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene road, stating that the approved alignment does not enter the region. He called this an attempt to pass off “propaganda dressed up as progress.” Similarly, he criticized the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway, touted as a symbol of renewed hope, as an inherited project with critical sections incomplete after over a decade. “Repackaging such long-drawn projects as new achievements is a disservice to the people,” he said.
The former lawmaker also rejected the notion that appointing a South-East Minister of Works constitutes special favor, arguing that a ministerial role is a national trust, not an ethnic reward. “Representation without results is not equity; it is an illusion,” he stated, emphasizing that the South-East remains structurally marginalized with low federal infrastructural presence and fiscal inclusion.
Okorie called for verifiable results over rhetoric and urged South-East leaders in the administration to address ongoing “inequities against Ndigbo,” including lopsided appointments, policy neglect, economic targeting, and suppression of fundamental rights. “Silence is complicity,” he warned.
In a call to action, Okorie urged South-East citizens to engage actively in the 2027 elections, stating, “Redemption will not come from propaganda but from participation. Register, vote, and make your will known peacefully and decisively.”
The remarks underscore growing discontent with perceived federal neglect in the South-East, with Okorie’s critique amplifying demands for fairness, equity, and tangible progress in the region.
