Egbema Youth Council Worldwide Protest Over Udo-Ofunama Road: NDDC’s Hollow Promises and the Unanswered Questions
By Prince Agbedeyi Odimientimi Desmond
The air in Egbema Kingdom carried a rare tension that morning. From the creeks of Delta to the marshes of Edo, the youths of the land gathered, united by a single cause: the abandoned Udo-Ofunama Road. With placards raised high, chants echoing like a war drum, and determination written on their faces, the Egbema Youth Council (EYC) Worldwide stood as the mouthpiece of a people long pushed aside.
This was no ordinary protest. It was history walking on bare feet, voices long ignored rising above the silence of neglect. Mothers whispered prayers, elders looked on with weary eyes, and the youths — burning with the fire of justice — demanded what was rightfully theirs.
A Kingdom Tired of Waiting
For years, the Egbema Kingdom has been left in infrastructural darkness. The Udo-Ofunama Road, a lifeline connecting communities, traders, and families, has been abandoned to erosion, flooding, and decay. Letters were written. Appeals were made. Yet the NDDC, created to bring development to the Niger Delta, looked away.
When all doors closed, protest became the last option. The EYC did not come with violence or weapons; they came with unity, carrying the weight of generations betrayed. Millions were spent to organize the march, not out of luxury but necessity.
The Arrival of NDDC’s Messengers
When at last the NDDC showed up, expectation ran high. Perhaps the Managing Director? Perhaps a Commissioner? But instead, two men stepped forward — not the leaders the people had hoped for, but representatives sent to pacify.
The first was the Personal Assistant to the NDDC Chief Executive on Security, a man from Bayelsa State. He looked at the crowd, adjusted his voice, and said:
“We are no longer in the era of violent agitation to get what is our right, and I will not blame you for embarking on the protest.”
The words fell heavy, but empty. A peaceful protest was being painted as a relic of the past, as though demanding justice was an outdated practice. The crowd listened in silence, not because they were convinced, but because they had heard these kinds of words before.
Then came the second messenger — a representative from the Community Relations Department of the NDDC. His promise was as brief as it was vague:
“The lack of attention is being looked into and will be resolved.”
The crowd stirred. Some shook their heads. Others whispered. For how long would they be told the same old story? If the project was truly on their table, why did it take years of unanswered letters and a massive protest for them to acknowledge it?
The Bitter Taste of Neglect
The truth was as clear as the blazing sun that afternoon: the NDDC had once again underestimated the resolve of the Egbema people. By sending junior representatives, they signaled that the protest was not important enough for their principal officers. By offering recycled promises, they showed no urgency.
It was an insult wrapped in rhetoric. A deliberate negligence dressed as diplomacy.
Questions That Demand Answers
The people of Egbema Kingdom are not asking for miracles. They are asking for action. They want to know:
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How soon will the NDDC act on the Udo-Ofunama Road?
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When will stakeholders be called to a genuine meeting, not another round of empty talk?
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How long should the Kingdom wait before bulldozers and engineers appear on site?
Without answers, every word spoken by the NDDC rings hollow. Without action, the trust deficit only widens.
The Way Forward
If the NDDC is truly serious about development, then the path is clear. They must convene a stakeholders’ meeting within weeks, not months. They must publish a clear timetable for the rehabilitation of the Udo-Ofunama Road. They must show transparency, accountability, and above all, respect for the people of Egbema.
The EYC has chosen the path of peace, dialogue, and maturity. But the Commission must not mistake patience for weakness. This generation may not take up arms, but it will not fold its hands in silence.
The protest was not the end; it was the beginning of a renewed struggle. A struggle not for luxury but for dignity, for justice, and for the right to development in a land that feeds the nation.
A Direct Challenge to Leadership
The time has come to speak directly.
Chief Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director of the NDDC, the ball is in your court. The Egbema people are tired of hearing from your aides, assistants, and department staff. They want to hear from you. They want to see your signature on a timetable for action. They want to know when work will begin on the Udo-Ofunama Road.
History will judge you, Dr. Ogbuku, not by the number of committees you set up or the speeches you deliver, but by the tangible projects you complete. The Egbema Kingdom will not forget. The Niger Delta will not forget.
The question is simple: Will you act, or will you allow your administration to be remembered as one that sent errand boys to pacify a Kingdom crying for justice?
The time for excuses has passed. The time for action is now.
Prince Agbedeyi Odimientimi Desmond
Writer & Social Commentator
Tags:
Egbema Youth Council, Udo-Ofunama Road, NDDC, Samuel Ogbuku, Niger Delta, Edo State, Delta State, Protest, Neglect, Accountability
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