Owerri, Imo State – July 6, 2025
Renowned activist and advocate for grassroots development, Prince Maduba Chukwudi Francis, popularly known as OluImo, has sounded the alarm over the deplorable state of the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC). Describing the commission as “dead as the Dead Sea,” OluImo says ISOPADEC has become a shell of its original intent, with the laws establishing it rendered ineffective and overridden by executive interference.
In a strong statement issued after conducting an independent review of the commission’s activities, OluImo accused the current Imo State administration of gross mismanagement and deliberate weakening of the agency. He noted that despite steady monthly inflows from the constitutionally-backed 13% oil derivation funds for the past six years, there is little to no tangible development in the oil-producing communities that the commission was created to serve.
“ISOPADEC was designed to be a lifeline for oil-producing areas in Imo, but today, it’s a dysfunctional entity. The visible projects don’t even account for 10% of the total funds received. It’s a betrayal of the people,” OluImo stated.
He lamented the total collapse of internal operations within the commission, citing staff welfare and infrastructure decay as glaring examples of neglect. Salaries of basic staff are reportedly unpaid for months, while the commission’s secretariat remains in a dilapidated state. According to OluImo, some senior officials now trek to work due to the lack of official vehicles, and board members are operating without designated offices.
“It’s disgraceful that a commission handling billions can’t pay its staff or maintain a functional office. This is administrative failure of the highest order,” he added.
OluImo also pointed to a serious breach of the law that established ISOPADEC. He revealed that the Managing Director (MD)—who by law is empowered to approve and execute developmental projects—has been stripped of authority, with decisions now solely dependent on the Governor’s approval. This, he claims, is in total violation of the ISOPADEC law which stipulates that 60% of the 13% derivation fund must be used for direct development in oil-producing communities.
“The MD has been reduced to a mere figurehead. The commission no longer functions as an autonomous development body but as a political appendage of the executive. This is a clear abuse of the statutory structure.”
OluImo called for an immediate public audit and a forensic investigation into how the 13% derivation funds have been managed in the last six years. He urged the Imo State House of Assembly and relevant federal institutions to step in and restore legality, transparency, and accountability to the commission.
“This is not just mismanagement—it’s economic sabotage. The people of Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, and other oil communities deserve to know where their funds went. We won’t stop until justice is served,” he declared.
The Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC) was established to facilitate development in communities affected by oil exploration. The commission is legally entitled to 60% of the state’s share of the 13% oil derivation fund for the implementation of infrastructure, human capital, and social development projects in oil-bearing areas.
