March 3, 2025
Members of the Ugu Youths Development for Change (UYDC) in Orhionmwon Local Government Area, Edo on Monday, staged a protest against the recent inauguration of the Abraka-Oben Road by the Ministry of Regional Development.
Leading the protest in Benin, Mr. Monday Osemwenkhae, the UYDC Coordinator, accused the ministry of using the road inauguration as a cover-up for the long-standing neglect of the region, which houses West Africa’s largest gas deposit.
“We are here to state that the so-called Abraka-Oben road, which was supposedly commissioned by the ministry, does not exist anywhere in our locality.
“The alleged road is a deliberate attempt to continue to neglect our area by the ministry and its affiliated agencies, such as the NDDC, for an extended period.
“For emphasis, the Oben oil field houses the largest gas deposit in West Africa, and the Ministry of Regional Development is supposed to focus on the development of the surrounding environment.
“However, what we have received is the commissioning of a non-existent road, with our community’s name attached to it, to deflect attention from the real issue,” he said
According to Osemwenkhae, the main access roads to Oben are the Ugo-Obozogbe-Iguelaba Road and the Umoghun-Nokhua-Oben Road, adding that the former was currently under construction through community funds and private sector involvement.
In response, the Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, clarified over the phone that “the commissioned road runs from Abraka to Oben, not from Benin to Oben.
“They should understand that the road runs from Abraka to Oben, from the Delta end, not from Benin to Oben. We have not made any claims about a road from Benin to Oben. They need to get that clear,” Momoh said.
“You can now travel from Oben to Abraka without any issues. The ministry has already completed a 20 kilometer stretch from Benin.
“The other road they are referring to, from Abraka to Benin, is in the first phase of construction, covering 10 kilometers from Abraka to Oben, not Benin to Abraka,” Momoh clarified.(NAN)
