| Official Name: | Isoko South | ||||||
| Settlement Type: | LGA | ||||||
| Subdivision Type: | Country | ||||||
| Subdivision Name: |  Nigeria | ||||||
| Subdivision Name1: | Delta State | ||||||
| Seat Type: | Headquarters | ||||||
| Seat: | Oleh | ||||||
| Unit Pref: | Imperial | ||||||
| Area Total Km2: | 668 | ||||||
| Population As Of: | 2006 | ||||||
| Population Total: | 235,147 | ||||||
| Timezone: | WAT | ||||||
| Utc Offset: | +1 | ||||||
| Module: |
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Isoko South is a local government area (LGA) in the Isoko region of Delta State, Nigeria. With its headquarters at Oleh, Nigeria, it is one of the two local governments that make up the Isoko region. The other is Isoko North, which has its headquarters at Ozoro.
The Isoko people migrated historically from the Benin Kingdom in nearby Edo State, and therefore share some cultural similarities with this state. The area later formed part of Bendel State, before Bendel State was split to form Edo and Delta states.
The Isoko South and North Local Government Area was established on 23 September 1991, when the former Isoko Local Government Area was subdivided. The area produces a large component of the oil and gas resources of Delta State.[1]
The Isoko South Local Government Area covers a low-lying section of the larger Niger Delta Basin, interspersed with streams, canals and rivers. It is located in a region of deciduous and evergreen forests, with patches of mangrove forest, as well as a forest reserve along the Aviara clan area. [2]
The local population are primarily of the Isoko people. There are eleven communities in Isoko South, and each of them are subdivided into several clans. Communities inhabiting Isoko South include the Aviara, Olomoro, Emede, Enhwe, Erowha, Igbide, Irri, Okpolo, Oleh, Delta, Umeh and Uzere. The Isoko language is predominant in much of the area.
The traditional occupation of the people of Isoko South is fishing and agriculture.
Current population centres include Oleh town - the seat of the Isoko South government - as well as the Olomoro urban community.[3] [4]
The different communities in Isoko South Local Government Area are being governed by a monarch constituted by the Delta State government. Their names and titles are as follow:
Since the creation of Isoko south local government, it has been governed by different officers ranging from divisional officers to residents, sole administrators and chairmen.
| S/No. | Names of Governing Officers | Position | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Hon. J.E. Otobo | Chairman | 23 May 1958 to 19 November 1959 |
| 2. | Mr. F.O. Omodior | Chairman | 20 November 1959 to 3 June 1960 |
| 3. | Mr. J.K. Oziwo | Chairman | 4 June 1960 to 20 August 1961 |
| 4. | Chief J.U.E. Agbaza | Chairman | 21 August 1961 to 30 November 1968 |
| 5. | Mr. F.I. Ikpefan | Divisional Officer | |
| 6. | Mr. J.A. Otutu | Divisional Officer | |
| 7. | Mr. R.A. Okaka | Divisional Officer | 21 August 1971 to 23 September 1971 |
| 8. | Mr. J.O. Uponi | Divisional Officer | 24 September 1971 to 30 May 1974 |
| 9. | Mr. J.Y. Sule | Divisional Officer | 1 June 1974 to 30 November 1974 |
| 10. | Mr. F.O. Ekemike | Residents | 1 December 1974 to 11 December 1975 |
| 11. | Chief S.O. Akpotu | Chairman | 15 January 1976 to 31 December 1976 |
| 12. | Mr. F.O. Aimufua | Residents | 1 June 1977 to 31 August 1977 |
| 13. | Chief J.O. Omu | Chairman | 1 September 1977 to 10 September 1979 |
| 14. | Chief G.O. Akpojene | Chairman | 1 December 1979 to 28 February 1982 |
| 15. | Mr. J.A. Agware | Chairman | 1 March 1982 to 30 September 1983 |
| 16. | Mr. S.O. Okoroze | Chairman | 1 October 1983 to 1 December 1983 |
| 17. | Mr. S.O. Ogoh | Sole Administrator | 1 February 1984 to 11 February 1986 |
| 18. | Major E.U. Uzamere Ex. Na | Chairman | 12 February 1986 to 28 June 1986 |
| 19. | Mr. E.O. Eziashi | Sole Administrator | 31 June 1986 to 31 December 1986 |
| 20. | Mr. J.I. Ukpedor | Sole Administrator | 1 January 1987 to 31 December 1987 |
| 21. | Mr. M.C.O. Eto | Chairman | 11 January 1988 to 31 July 1989 |
| 22. | Mr. L.E. Ejohwomu | Chairman | 1 September 1989 to 31 December 1990 |
| 23. | Mr. P.O. Oju | Chairman | 1 January 1991 to 16 September 1991 |
| 24. | Mr. P.F. Fuludu | Sole Administrator | 30 September 1991 to 2 December 1991 |
| 25. | Mr. J.E. Osima | Chairman | 30 December 1991 to 8 November 1993 |
| 26. | Major G.O. Igbehen | Chairman | 7 April 1994 to 29 March 1996 |
| 27. | Chief Iduh G. Amadhe | Chairman | 30 March 1996 to 23 March 1997 |
| 28. | Mr. Benjamin Ogbalor | Chairman | 24 March 1997 to 20 July 1998 |
| 29. | Dr M. Ebereme | Sole Administrator | 23 July 1998 to 20 September 1998 |
| 30. | Dr M. Ebereme | Chairman | 21 September 1998 to 2 June 1999 |
| 31. | Hon. Mike E.B. Igbuku | Chairman | 3 June 1999 to 2 June 2002 |
| 32. | Hon. Fegurson Onwo | Chairman | 24 July 2002 to 24 June 2003 |
| 33. | Arc. Joe Iroro | Chairman | 26 June 2003 to 26 December 2003 |
| 34. | Arc. Joe Iroro | Chairman | 19 April 2004 to 19 April 2007 |
| 35. | Hon. Joel Onowakpo | Chairman | 17 October 2007 to 13 May 2008 |
| 36. | Hon. (Chief) Askia Ogieh (JP) | Chairman | 13 May 2008 to 13 May 2011 |
| 37. | Hon. Goodluck Idele | Chairman | 27 October 2012 to 27 October 2014 |
| 38. | Sir (Hon.) Itiako C. Ikpokpo | Chairman | 27 October 2014 to 27 October 2017 |
| 39. | Sir (Hon.) Itiako C. Ikpokpo | Chairman | 8 January 2018 to 5 January 2021 |
| 40. | Hon. Victor Asasa | Chairman | 8 March 2021 till Date |
Of the tourist areas, The Araya Bible Site whose origin is traceable to the Anglican Adam Preaching Society founded by Cornelius Adam Igbudu (1914-1981), the Eni of Uzere and the sandbeaches of Ivrogbo are popular.
The cultural attractions of the area include a range of traditional festivals, crafts (such as the distinctive pottery made from the local kaolin clays), the traditional clothing and a strong culture of hospitality.
The area's festivals include the Oliho Festival of the Oleh kingdom, the Omode festival of Iri, the Ivri of Olomoro, the Idhu and Abarne of Igbide, the Osia of Umeh, the Ogwa-Enwhe of the Enwhe kingdom, the Oniowise of Emede, the Ovore of Erowha, the Uloho of Orie and the popular Eni of the Uzere Kingdom.
Oil and gas exploration activities began in the area in the early 1950s, and the second oil well in Nigeria was discovered in Uzere, Isoko South, in 1958.[5] The massive growth of the oil and gas industries has created significant environmental challenges, and have been a source of much concern for the local government.
Challenges such as gas flaring, oil spills from pipelines, deforestation and waste miss-management have been made more serious by federal laws which centralise control of the oil rich land and allow local government relatively little control over activities. Due to such concerns, in 2001, the Isoko South Local Government joined ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, the first local government in Nigeria to do so.
The local government has since engaged in extensive project work to combat the effects of oil and gas pollution. It has promulgated a law that makes Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) compulsory for all developmental and industrial projects, and has also carried out environmental auditing with environmental regulators and NGOs in the local government area.Large tree planting projects have also been launched in collaboration with community-based organisations and with UNDP GEF/SGP support. [6]