Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
A group on the platform of Ugu Youths for Developmental Change (UYDC), has accused the Minister of Regional Development, Egnr.Abubakar Momoh of allegedly commissioning a non-existent road in Oben, Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State.
The protesters, led by their coordinator, Comrade Monday Osabueki, asserted that the so-called Abraka-Oben Road, recently inaugurated by the minister, does not exist within their locality.
They condemned the act as a deliberate ploy to mislead the public while their community continues to suffer from infrastructural neglect.
“Our communities, spanning 17 settlements in Ugu Ward, have been sidelined for far too long,” Osabueki stated. “Instead of genuine development, we are witnessing an attempt to mask years of abandonment by falsely commissioning a road that exists only on paper.”
The youth group stressed the strategic importance of Oben, home to the largest gas deposit in West Africa, and criticised the Ministry of Regional Development and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for failing to improve the region’s infrastructure.
They pointed out that while some roads, such as the Ugo-Obozogbe-Iguelaba Road, are under construction through private and community efforts, other critical link roads remain in deplorable condition.
“The name ‘Oben’ has been used repeatedly to secure funding, yet we have seen no real impact. We call on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to change this narrative and ensure genuine development, rather than allowing the commissioning of imaginary projects,” the group stated.
Responding to the protest, the Chairman of the Edo State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Dr Festus Alenkhe, assured the demonstrators that their grievances would be conveyed to the to the Ministry concerned while Journalists would also carry out their investigations to ascertain the true nature of things.
Responding, the Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh said that the Abraka-Oben road was personally commissioned by him and that he drove through it.
He said that he is not talking about from Benin to Oben and possibly, the people may have mistook it for Abraka-Oben road.