The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has refuted claims linking it to the Nyanghasang Community Road project in Calabar, Cross River State, describing the attempt to credit the federal agency with the project as misleading and politically motivated.

Speaking to journalists in Calabar, the NDDC Commissioner representing Cross River State on the Commission’s board, Mr. Orok Duke, clarified that the road project was initiated and executed by the Cross River State Government and was not part of the Commission’s development portfolio.

Mr. Duke attributed the ongoing controversy to efforts by some federal legislators to falsely claim credit for projects executed by the state, ostensibly to score political points or divert public funds.

“If anyone is in a position to clarify this issue, it is me,” Duke said. “I represent the NDDC in this state and am fully aware of every project captured in our budget. The Nyanghasang Road project is not, and has never been, one of them. It is a state government initiative, dating back to the administration of former Governor Liyel Imoke and prioritised under the current administration of Governor Bassey Otu.”

Duke criticised unnamed federal lawmakers for what he described as a “deliberate and deceptive effort” to hijack the project by partially resurfacing a segment and branding it with personal insignia ahead of a scheduled commissioning event.

“There is no Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation (BEME), no vouchers, and no award letter to justify their claims,” he said. “It is an act of misrepresentation and financial opportunism, using Cross River as a smokescreen for potential misappropriation.”

He added that the only NDDC road project recently commissioned in Calabar was a 900-metre stretch of Idang Road in Calabar South — a project fully documented and processed through the appropriate channels. Even that, he noted, had faced politicisation, including an unauthorised renaming and the placement of a senator’s relative’s name on signage without local consent.

Echoing the commissioner’s remarks, the Cross River State Commissioner for Works, Mr. Ankpo Pius Edet, reaffirmed that the Nyanghasang Road was solely funded and executed by the state government.

“This is a critical road for our people,” Edet stated. “While there was a brief delay in the project, Governor Otu prioritised its completion upon assumption of office. At no point was the NDDC involved.”

Edet also condemned the unauthorised “commissioning” event arranged by a federal legislator, held without any consultation with the state Ministry of Works or local authorities.

“There was no coordination, no oversight, no partnership — only political theatre,” he added.

Commissioner Duke further condemned the use of political campaign-style images and the senator’s photograph on NDDC-funded streetlights, calling it a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.

“If anyone’s image should be on an NDDC project, it is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s, under whose administration these projects are being funded,” he said. “Contractors and politicians attempting to rebrand public infrastructure as personal achievements are simply being dishonest.”

He also highlighted the NDDC’s commitment to partnership, not competition, with the state government.

“We are here to complement the governor’s efforts,” Duke said, praising Governor Otu’s approach to inclusive infrastructure development and his advocacy for an even distribution of NDDC projects across the state’s three senatorial districts.

Duke concluded with a pointed message to federal lawmakers:

“Focus on delivering your constituency projects, not on hijacking state or NDDC efforts. Governance must be about service, not self-promotion.”