Edo community kicks as minister allegedly commissions ‘non-existent’ road

Youths of Ugu Ward in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State on Monday lampooned the Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, for allegedly commissioning a non-existent road project purportedly constructed in their community.

Expressing their grievances through a protest march to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Edo State secretariat, a group under the aegis of Ugu Youths for Development Change (UYDC), led by Comrade Monday Osemwenkhae, its Coordinator, alleged that the said “Abraka-Oben Road,” which was commissioned by Momoh, does not exist anywhere in their locality.

“The said road is a calculated attempt to cover up the continuous neglect of our area by his ministry and its affiliate agencies and commissions like the NDDC (Niger Delta Development Commission) for a long period,” they claimed.

The protesters said that for emphasis, Oben oil field houses the highest gas deposit in West Africa, which the Ministry of Regional Development is supposed to handle the development of its environs, but the reverse is the case.

“But what we have just gotten is the commissioning of a non-existent road with our community name attached to divert attention from the neglect of the roads in that area,” he said.

Lamenting over what they described as unacceptable, the protesters said: “The name Oben has been used as a cash cow for many years, and we expect the present Nigerian government of President Bola Tinubu to change the narrative rather than his Minister commissioning a non-existent road using our community name.”

Responding to the allegation, the Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, denied the claim of the protesters, saying that the road is from Oben to Abraka and not from Benin to Abraka as they claimed.