By EgbemaVoice
Leaders and concerned citizens of Arogbo Kingdom in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State have called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate the alleged abandonment of the Agadagba-Obon to Arogbo bridge project reportedly awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission.
In an open letter addressed to EFCC Chairman, Olukoyede Ola, Pharm. Allen S.E and Comrade Kpaiko Thaddeus, President of the Arogbo Ijaw Youth Forum, expressed concern over the fate of the multi-billion naira project which was initiated between 2011 and 2015 but allegedly abandoned after preliminary work commenced.
According to the petition, the project was expected to transform Arogbo Kingdom by improving transportation, economic activities, healthcare access, and overall development. The petitioners alleged that the contract was awarded to an Italian construction company, Picolo Brunelli Engineering Limited, which reportedly cleared parts of the road corridor and oversaw demolition of some affected buildings before the project suddenly stopped.
The community leaders lamented that for more than eleven years, there has been no official explanation from the NDDC or the contractors regarding the abandonment of the bridge project despite reports that substantial public funds may have been released for its execution.
They appealed to the EFCC to carry out a transparent investigation into the activities of the NDDC, the contractors, and all individuals connected to the project, stressing that anyone found guilty of corruption, diversion of funds, contract inflation, or abuse of office should face prosecution.
The petitioners described the abandoned bridge project as a painful symbol of neglect, broken promises, and possible financial misconduct against the people of Arogbo Kingdom, while expressing confidence in the anti-corruption efforts of the EFCC leadership under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
They urged the commission to ensure justice, accountability, and transparency for the people of Arogbo Kingdom who have continued to suffer infrastructural deprivation and economic isolation due to the absence of the bridge project. Open letter fully reads
OPEN LETTER TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION (EFCC), NIGERIA
To: *Mr. Olukoyede Ola
Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
Abuja, Nigeria.
Dear Sir,
RE: PETITION AND APPEAL FOR INVESTIGATION INTO THE ABANDONMENT OF THE AGADAGBA-OBON TO AROGBO BRIDGE PROJECT BY THE NDDC
We write this open letter as a deeply concerned citizen of the great Arogbo Kingdom in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria, regarding the mysterious abandonment of the Agadagba-Obon to Arogbo bridge project, a development initiative that once brought enormous hope and anticipation to our people.
Between 2011 and 2015, the people of Arogbo Kingdom received what was then considered one of the most remarkable pieces of news in our history, the approval and proposed construction of a bridge linking Agadagba-Obon to Arogbo. This announcement was met with widespread jubilation and excitement throughout the kingdom because, for decades, our people had endured severe infrastructural neglect and developmental marginalisation.
The project represented more than just a bridge; it symbolised hope, economic liberation, social integration, and long-overdue governmental recognition for our people. We were informed that the project was facilitated through the *Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC),* an interventionist agency established under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to address the infrastructural and developmental deficiencies in the Niger Delta region.
According to the information made available to us at the time, the contract for the bridge project was allegedly awarded to an Italian construction company known as *Picolo Brunelli Engineering Limited.* Shortly after the announcement, preliminary activities commenced. The company mobilised to site, roads were cleared, and some houses situated along the proposed construction corridor were demolished. We were informed that compensation was paid to some affected property owners.
Sadly, after those initial activities, the project abruptly came to a standstill and has since become another tragic example of abandoned government projects in Nigeria.
For over eleven years now, the people of Arogbo Kingdom have neither received any official explanation from the NDDC nor heard anything substantial from the contractor regarding the fate of this critical infrastructure project. The silence surrounding the matter has been both painful and suspicious.
Sir, credible information circulating among members of the public suggests that substantial funds may have been disbursed for this project. However, despite the alleged release of public funds, there is absolutely nothing tangible on ground to justify such expenditure. If indeed public resources were allocated and subsequently mismanaged, diverted, or embezzled, then this constitutes a grave betrayal of public trust and an injustice against the people of Arogbo Kingdom.
It is on this basis that I humbly and passionately appeal to your esteemed office to conduct a comprehensive, transparent, and uncompromising investigation into this matter. We respectfully request that the EFCC investigate the NDDC, the contractors involved, and every relevant agency or individual connected to this project. Should anyone be found culpable of corruption, financial misconduct, contract inflation, diversion of funds, or abuse of office, we urge your office to ensure that justice is served in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Your leadership at the EFCC since your appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has inspired renewed confidence among Nigerians in the fight against corruption and financial crimes. *Your visible commitment to accountability, transparency, and institutional integrity has reassured many citizens that public office holders and contractors can no longer act with impunity.*
It is because of this confidence in your leadership that I am bringing this matter before you, believing strongly that your office will treat this appeal with the seriousness and urgency it deserves.
The Agadagba-Obon to Arogbo bridge project remains extremely important to our people. Arogbo is not merely a town; it is the ancestral headquarters of our kingdom, the cultural and historical identity of our people, and the place many of us continue to call home regardless of where we reside across the world. The absence of this bridge continues to hinder transportation, economic growth, education, healthcare access, and overall development within the area.
For many years, our people have suffered from isolation and infrastructural deprivation. This bridge was supposed to mark the beginning of a new era of development for Arogbo Kingdom. Unfortunately, it has now become a symbol of broken promises, administrative negligence, and possible corruption.
While many political office holders, community elites, and traditional stakeholders have remained silent on this issue for reasons best known to them, I cannot, in good conscience, remain silent while such an important project fades into oblivion without accountability.
Therefore, Sir, I respectfully plead with your office to intervene decisively by making the necessary inquiries into the activities of the NDDC and all parties connected with this abandoned project. *The people of Arogbo Kingdom deserve answers, transparency, and justice.*
We sincerely look forward to your intervention and hope that this matter will receive the urgent attention it deserves.
Thank you for your service to our nation and for your unwavering dedication to the fight against corruption.
Yours faithfully,
Pharm. Allen S.E
A Concerned Citizen of Arogbo Kingdom Ese-Odo Local Government Area Ondo State, Nigeria.
Comr. Kpainko Thaddeaus
President, Arogbo Ijaw Youth Forum
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