Mr. Patrick Asowerien, the Commissioner representing Edo State on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Board, has clarified that the Abraka-Oben road project is not yet complete, addressing recent protests and misrepresentations regarding its status.
Speaking to reporters in Benin City on Friday, Asowerien explained that the Minister of Regional Development, Mr. Abubakar Momoh, only commissioned the first phase of the project, spanning 9.8 kilometers. “This phase terminates between Edo and Delta states near Evbuesi village,” he stated.
The Commissioner’s remarks come in response to protests by the Ugu Youths Development for Change, led by Comrade Monday Osemwenkhae, who claimed the Minister had inaugurated a non-existent Abraka-Oben road. Osemwenkhae had even led journalists on a tour to showcase the road’s purported lack of progress.
Asowerien refuted these claims, asserting that the protesting youths had misrepresented the facts. “The federal government had neither completed nor commissioned the road,” he emphasized, explaining that the project is being carried out in phases. “Work on the project was ongoing and incomplete.”
He further outlined plans for future phases, with the second phase slated to extend from Evbuesi to Ugo, including a spur at Oben. He acknowledged that the Oben section of the road project remains unfinished and criticized the “misleading narrative” being circulated.
Asowerien confirmed the NDDC’s commitment, alongside partner organizations, to enhancing the living conditions of the region’s populace through continued infrastructure development. He also noted that work on the Orhionmwon section of the Oben-Umugun road, which connects to the Benin-Abraka highway, has not yet commenced.
Highlighting the importance of the project, Asowerien commended Minister Momoh for prioritizing these roads in the 2024 budget, assuring the public that the vital link roads would be developed in due course. This commitment aims to alleviate transportation challenges and spur economic growth in the region.
