BREAKING NEWS: NDDC’S ₦6 BILLION UDO–OFUNAMA ROAD PROJECT ABANDONED FOR OVER A DECADE — COMMUNITIES DEMAND PROBE

BREAKING NEWS: NDDC’S ₦6 BILLION UDO–OFUNAMA ROAD PROJECT ABANDONED FOR OVER A DECADE — COMMUNITIES DEMAND PROBE

By Prince Agbedeyi Odimientimi Desmond
Dean, School of Applied Sciences | Activist & Development Advocate

A MULTI-BILLION NAIRA ROAD TO NOWHERE

Egbema Kingdom, straddling Edo and Delta States, has been left stranded for more than ten years — not by flood, not by war, but by an abandoned ₦6,062,172,454.15 NDDC road project.

The Udo–Ofunama Road, awarded in April 2012 to Japaul Mines & Product Ltd with a delivery time of 86 weeks, was supposed to be a lifeline for rural communities. Instead, it has become a decade-long monument to corruption, neglect, and dashed hopes.

FROM HIGH HOPES TO HIGHWAY OF SHAME

An investigation shows that despite the project’s colossal budget:

  • Only about 35% of the road was completed by early 2019.

  • Roughly 5 km of the planned 46.5 km was done before the contractor vanished from the site.

  • Auditors discovered suspicious payments for “project vehicles” and “compensation” totaling ₦148.65 million — even though the road already existed.

  • Locals allege that a 15% “motivation fee” was paid to secure the contract, though this claim is yet to be officially confirmed.

By March 2018, just ₦268,895,797.59 had been disbursed, but for residents, the damage was already done — both to the landscape and to their trust in public institutions.

THE HUMAN COST

What does an abandoned road mean for the people of Egbema Kingdom?

  • Pregnant women travel hours on dangerous bush paths to reach the nearest hospital.

  • Farmers lose perishable goods due to transport delays.

  • Students trek long distances through unsafe terrain to attend school.

In April 2025, the Egbema Clan Ijaw Youth Council staged a protest, chanting “Finish Our Road, Finish Our Future!” By July, frustration boiled over into a 30-day ultimatum to the NDDC and Edo State Government. Their message: “Complete this project or face massive peaceful demonstrations.”

BREACHES AND RED FLAGS

The Value-for-Money Audit flagged glaring violations:

  • No competitive bidding — a direct breach of the Public Procurement Act (2007).

  • No BPP or Federal Executive Council approval for the contract.

  • Misallocation of funds and unexplained expenses.

In plain terms: this was a deal that never followed the rules from day one.

A CALL FOR ACTION AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL

As a son of the Niger Delta, an academic, and an advocate, I am calling on:

  • President Bola Ahmed Tinubu — Order an immediate forensic audit and prosecute those involved.

  • EFCC & Attorney General — Investigate the alleged motivation fee and recover misused funds.

  • NDDC — Publish all project documents and remobilize a credible contractor to finish the road.

This road is not a luxury; it is a necessity for survival and economic empowerment. To allow it to rot is to write off an entire generation.

FINAL WORD

The Udo–Ofunama Road story is not just about broken asphalt — it is about broken promises. For the people of Egbema Kingdom, justice will not be served until bulldozers are back on site, asphalt is laid, and the communities finally have the road they were promised more than a decade ago.

Global Egberi Media International
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Tags: NDDC, Udo-Ofunama Road, Egbema Kingdom, Edo State, Delta State, Prince Agbedeyi Odimientimi Desmond, EFCC, President Tinubu, Niger Delta Development, Abandoned Project, Anti-corruption

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