NDDC Protest: Will neither rest nor sleep until the Udo-Ofunama Road is fixed,” Egbema Youths declared,
......Vows Council will monitor NDDC’s response and prepare for next line e of action if necessary.
.......Egbema Youth Council (EYC) Worldwide Stages Peaceful Protest at NDDC Headquarters, Port Harcourt
By EgbemaVoice,
The Egbema Youth Council (EYC) Worldwide the apex youth body representing the Egbema Kingdom in both Delta and Edo States has staged a peaceful protest at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) headquarters in Port Harcourt.
The demonstration was aimed at drawing urgent attention to the long-abandoned Udo-Ofunama Road project, a critical infrastructure link connecting over 250 communities across three kingdoms: Egbema, Olodiama, and Okomu.
The protesters highlighted that the deplorable state of the road has caused:
Severe economic hardship farmers are unable to transport produce to urban markets.
Serious health risks, pregnant women and emergency patients face life-threatening delays accessing medical care.
Escalating transport costs — commuters are forced to take longer, more expensive detours through Ondo and Delta State waterways to reach major cities.
During the peaceful protest, the Egbema youth council Worldwide presented the following demands to the NDDC:
1. Revoke and re-award the Udo-Ofunama Road project — initially awarded in 2012 to Japaul Mines (with only 6 km completed) — to a competent NDDC-accredited construction firm.
2. Prioritize oil-rich Egbema communities — including Opuama (OML 40), Olero, Dibi, Opuekuuba, Shara Energy, Conoil, NPDC/Elcrest, and others — which contribute massively to Nigeria’s economy yet remain neglected.
3. Implement the Light-Up Niger Delta initiative to address chronic electricity shortages.
4. Establish youth empowerment programs — many qualified youths remain unemployed and marginalized.
5. Provide pipe-borne water to end decades of dependence on unsafe sources.
6. Sponsor foreign postgraduate scholarships (Master’s & PhD) for outstanding students to build human capacity.
7. Build vocational training centers to empower grassroots communities with practical skills.
NDDC responds to the protest, Addressing the protesters, Hon. B. Otobo — representing the Commission’s security department — commended the EYC for conducting a peaceful and coordinated demonstration. He acknowledged the right of Egbema youths to demand a fair share of development benefits as an oil-producing kingdom.
Otobo emphasized the importance of modern, lawful approaches to resolving issues rather than resorting to violence, assuring the EYC that their grievances would be communicated to the NDDC Board of Directors and Management. He promised that the Commission would respond to their demands within two months.
Dr. Amiyenbor Dietei of the NDDC Community and Rural Development (CRD) Department also urged the youth council to cooperate with the Commission to ensure the success of initiatives that would address their concerns.
Protest called off, but resolve remains firm, Following these assurances, EYC Worldwide President, Comrade Amatelemowei Sode Esq., called off the protest while reaffirming the Council’s unwavering commitment to seeing the Udo-Ofunama Road project completed.
He therefore reveals that, Egbema youth will neither rest nor sleep until the Udo-Ofunama Road is fixed,” Sode declared, vowing that the Council will monitor NDDC’s response and prepare the next line of action if necessary.
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