A former member of the House of Representatives and 2023 Labour Party senatorial candidate for Ebonyi South, Hon. Linus Okorie, has faulted the Federal Government’s claims that the economic regeneration of the South-East region is a top priority of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, describing it as “a beautiful illusion.”
Okorie, who represented the Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State between 2011 and 2019, said the much-publicized infrastructural achievements in the region are mere propaganda, insisting that the South-East is witnessing “representation without results.”
Speaking to journalists in Abakaliki on Monday, Okorie said residents of the South-East are demanding “tangible development, not media hype.”
“In a sharp critique of the Federal Ministry of Works’ recent press release titled ‘South-East Economic Regeneration Top Priority in President Tinubu’s National Development Plan,’ I describe the entire narrative as a contradiction — ambitious on paper but empty in delivery,” Okorie stated.
He accused the Ministry of engaging in “intellectual dishonesty” by listing projects that largely pass through South-South states — such as the Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene, Ikot Ekpene–Aba, and Port Harcourt–Aba roads — as part of South-East transformation efforts.
According to him, “the Abia State government had to assume responsibility for part of the Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene road because of federal neglect, yet the Ministry now repackages it as collaboration.”
Okorie also faulted claims that the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway would pass through the South-East, describing it as “a stretch bordering on deliberate misinformation,” since the approved route does not enter the region.
He criticized the rebranding of the long-running Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway project as a new achievement, calling it “a disservice to the people” and an attempt to “dress up old failures as fresh progress.”
“The appointment of a South-East Minister of Works is not a favour but a constitutional duty,” Okorie emphasized. “Representation without results is not equity — it is an illusion. The South-East still suffers marginalization in federal infrastructure and fiscal inclusion.”
He urged South-East leaders in the current administration to “break their silence on inequities against Ndigbo” and to speak up against lopsided appointments, policy neglect, and suppression of rights.
Concluding, Okorie called on citizens of the South-East to take charge of their future:
“Redemption will not come from propaganda but from participation. Let our people register, vote, and make their voices heard peacefully and decisively in 2027.”
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