Isoko South is a

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...

(LGA) in the

Isoko region Isoko is a region of Delta State and Bayelsa state in southern Nigeria and is inhabited by an ethnic group of the same name, the Isoko people. The region is divided into two Local Government Areas, Isoko North (headquartered at Ozoro Ozoro is a c ...

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 Isoko North is one of two Local Government Areas (LGA) in the Isoko region of Delta State, southern Nigeria – the other being Isoko South. The population of Isoko North was approximately 112,000 as of 2003. Its headquarters are in the ...

, which has its headquarters at

Ozoro Ozoro is a city and the headquarter of Isoko North Local Government area of Delta State, Nigeria. It is one of the two administrative units in the Isoko region of elta State, southern Nigeria. Ozoro had been incorrectly spelt Usoro in some older m ...

History

The Isoko people migrated historically from the

Benin Kingdom The Kingdom of Benin, also known as the Edo Kingdom, or the Benin Empire ( Bini: ') was a kingdom within what is now southern Nigeria. It has no historical relation to the modern republic of Benin, which was known as Dahomey from the 17th c ...

in nearby

Edo State Edo, commonly known as Edo State, is a state located in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. As of 2006 National population census, the state was ranked as the 24th populated state (3,233,366) in Nigeria, However there was controvers ...

, 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.

Geography

The Isoko South Local Government Area covers a low-lying section of the larger

Niger Delta The Niger Delta is the delta of the Niger River sitting directly on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean in Nigeria. It is located within nine coastal southern Nigerian states, which include: all six states from the South South geopolitic ...

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.

Demographics

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 Enhwe is a kingdom made up of two main sections which are Otu Enhwe and Uluthe with its center of administration in Uluthe where the Paramount Rulers Emanates from. Enhwe Kingdom in Isoko South migrated from IDU (now Benin) during the end of the 13t ...

, Erowha,

Igbide Igbide is an Isoko clan located in the Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. The predominant occupation of the Igbide is fishing and farming especially of cassava and groundnuts. The fishing is done mainly in the Urie lake ...

, Irri, Okpolo,

Oleh, Delta Oleh is the headquarters of the Isoko South Local Government Area, one of the two administrative units in the Isoko region of Delta State, southern Nigeria. Politics and Government As the administrative center for the local government, it hous ...

, Umeh and

Uzere Uzere formerly known as "Uzei" is located in the Isoko South Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State of Nigeria. It has become one of the largest petroleum oil producing communities in Nigeria. Oil exploration started in Uzere in 1957. 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.

Names of monarchs and their titles in Isoko South

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: # H.R.M. Ewhiri II,
The Ovie of Emede Kingdom
Monarch governing Emede Community. # H.R.M. Udogri I (JP),
The Ovie of

Kingdom.
Monarch governing

Kingdom. # H.R.M. Obukeni I (JP),
The Ovie of

Kingdom,
Monarch governing

Community. # H.R.M. Ambrose O. Owhe (JP),
The Odio-ologbo of Umeh Kingdom.
Monarch governing Umeh Community. # H.R.M. Ovrawah A. Omogha 1 (JP) FCAI,
The Odio-ologbo of Community.
Monarch governing Oleh Community. # H.R.M. Samuel Otidi,
The Odio-ologbo of Okpolo Kingdom.
Monarch governing Okpolo Community. # H.R.M. Harry Emaviwe,
The Ovie of Aviara Kingdom.
Monarch governing Aviara Community. # H.R.M. Anthony O. Efekodha (MNSE, FMHR),
Ejuzi II, The Ovie of Enwhe Kingdom.
Monarch governing Enwhe Community. # H.R.M. Kenneth Onomeregwae,
The Odio-ologbo of Erowha Kingdom.
Monarch governing Erowha Community. # H.R.M. Josiah Umukoro,
Aghaza 1, The Odio-ologbo of Olomoro Kingdom.
Monarch governing Olomoro Community. # H.R.M. Joshua Aghagba,
The Odio-ologbo of Irri Kingdom.
Monarch governing Irri Community.

Isoko South Local Government List of Divisional Officers, Residents, Sole Administrators and Chairmen

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.

Landmarks and attractions

Of the tourist areas, the Araya Bible Tourist Center, 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.

Environmental challenges and projects

Oil and gas exploration activities began in the area in the early 1950s, and the second oil well in Nigeria was discovered in

, Isoko South, in 1958. 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.

Notable people

*Lieutenant General Alexander Odeareduo Ogomudia(rtd)CFR DSS fwc psc(+) MSc FNSE, is a retired Nigerian army officer who served as Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army Staff *High Chief Dr. Stephen Onovughakpor Akpotu (JP), former President-General and Grand Patron of the Isoko Development Union (IDU), Chairman, Movement for the Creation of Delta State * Kenneth Ogba, politician *Christian Aggrey Owoma Apena, Archbishop and Evangelist. *John Aruakpor, Bishop of Anglican communion (

Diocese). *Major General Paul Ufuoma Omu(rtd), sole administrator and former military governor of the South-Eastern State *Fred Amata,

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jo ...

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

, producer and director *John Odafe Asiemo (alias Daddy Showkey),

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

n galala singer *Bovi Ugboma,Nigerian Comedian

References

{{coord missing, Nigeria Local Government Areas in Delta State