A former member of the House of Representatives and the 2023 Labour Party Senatorial Candidate for Ebonyi South Zone, Hon. Linus Okorie, has described as an “illusion of economic regeneration” the claims by the Federal Government that the economic development of the South-East region is a priority of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
According to the erstwhile lawmaker, who represented Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State between 2011 and 2019, the media hype over project completions and commissioning in the Zone is a hoax, adding that the region currently experiences “representation without results” and “a beautiful illusion.”
He stated this while addressing journalists in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State, on Monday, adding that South-East residents demand tangible action and not propaganda.
He said, “In a sharp critique of the Federal Ministry of Works’ recent communications, I, Hon. Linus Okorie, a former member of the House of Representatives and a prominent governance advocate, have labeled the administration’s proclaimed plan for the South-East as ‘representation without results’ and ‘a beautiful illusion.’
“The rebuke comes in response to a press release from the Federal Ministry of Works titled, ‘South-East Economic Regeneration Top Priority in President Tinubu’s National Development Plan.’ I argue that the document collapses under the weight of its own contradictions, offering ambitious promises while delivering a ‘patchwork of inherited or marginal interventions.’”
In his analysis, the ex-lawmaker highlighted several key points of contention: geographical conflation, deliberate misinformation, recycled projects, and illusory representation.
He accused the Ministry of “intellectual dishonesty” for presenting road projects that predominantly traverse South-South states—such as the Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene, Ikot Ekpene–Aba, and Port Harcourt–Aba roads—as direct evidence of transformation within the South-East.
He noted that the Abia State government had already taken over a significant portion of the Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene road due to federal failure, a fact reframed as “collaboration.”
He also pointed out that the claim that the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway will pass through the South-East via the Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene road is a stretch bordering on deliberate misinformation, saying the approved alignment does not enter the South-East, making the attempt to appropriate it as a regional benefit a clear case of “propaganda dressed up as progress.”
He added, “The Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway, cited as a symbol of renewed hope, is a project inherited from past administrations, with critical sections remaining incomplete after more than a decade. Repackaging such long-drawn projects as new achievements is a ‘disservice’ to the people.
“I dismiss the oft-held notion that the appointment of a South-East Minister of Works constitutes a special favour. A ministerial office is a national trust, not an ethnic reward. Moreover, representation without results is not equity; it is an illusion. I emphasize that the region continues to rank low in federal infrastructural presence and fiscal inclusion.
“The truth remains that the South-East is still structurally marginalized. No amount of public relations can substitute for fairness, equity, and genuine progress. Our people are not asking for favours; they are demanding fairness. They do not seek headlines; they need highways. They do not crave propaganda; they yearn for progress.”
“While acknowledging the Minister’s passion, I call for verifiable results over rhetoric. I also challenge all South-East leaders in the current administration to break their silence on ongoing ‘inequities against Ndigbo,’ including lopsided appointments, policy neglect, economic targeting, open threats to life, and the suppression of fundamental rights, warning that ‘silence is complicity.’
“Finally, I call on the citizens of the South-East to recognize that ‘redemption will not come from propaganda but from participation,’ urging every eligible citizen to register, vote, and make their will known peacefully and decisively in the 2027 elections.”
