NDDC: A Road of Promises and Questions: The Long Journey of the Gbaregolor –Gbekebor –Ogulagha Project

By Engr. Henry Yeigagha JP

In the Niger Delta, roads are more than infrastructure. They are lifelines that determine whether a community remains isolated or becomes economically connected. For the riverine communities of Delta State, the Gbaregolor–Gbekebor –Ogulagha Road was meant to be such a lifeline. Instead, more than fifteen years after its award, the project has become a case study in the persistent contradictions of development in the oil-rich region.

The project was formally awarded on 5 November 2009 by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) under Award Reference NDDC/EDP/DEL/PR/176. The contractor was Setraco Nigeria Limited, one of Nigeria’s well-known construction companies, with a contract sum of ₦16,157,782,480.20. At the time of the award, the Commission was led by Chibuzor Ugwoha, who served as Managing Director of the NDDC.

The ambition of the project was clear: construct a strategic road linking Gbaregolor, Gbekbor and Ogulagha, opening access across at least ten communities in Bomadi, Burutu and Ughelli South Local Government Areas of Delta State. In a region defined by difficult terrain and limited road connectivity, such a corridor promised to transform trade, mobility and social services. Yet, the story that has unfolded over the years tells a far more complicated tale.

THE PUZZLE OF PAYMENTS AND IRREGULARITIES

Audit findings and oversight reports raise troubling questions about the financial management of the project.

Despite a contract value exceeding ₦16 billion, official audit records indicate that only ₦220,774,602.75 was recorded as paid toward the project during the audited period. Within that amount, about ₦190,956,627.75 was reportedly transferred to Chris Oghene Omoru & Co as compensation to affected persons. The audit, however, noted that supporting field reports and verification documents were not provided, raising concerns about the transparency of the compensation process.

Another red flag involved project logistics. Three vehicles worth ₦29,817,975 were procured for the project but were not found at the construction site during audit verification. Instead, they were reportedly located at the headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission. Such findings inevitably raise difficult questions: were these vehicles ever used for the road project, or were they diverted to unrelated administrative use?

These irregularities do not necessarily prove criminal intent, but they highlight a persistent governance problem that has plagued development projects across the Niger Delta; weak documentation, inadequate oversight and blurred accountability.

A WIDER SCANDAL WITHIN THE NDDC SYSTEM

The concerns surrounding the Gbaregolor–Ogulagha project did not emerge in isolation. They surfaced during a broader national investigation into the activities of the Nigerian Senate Public Accounts oversight of the NDDC.

In 2022, the Senate Public Accounts Committee, then chaired by Matthew Urhoghide, examined the Commission’s financial records covering 2013 to 2018. The investigation exposed a troubling pattern: more than 626 contractors reportedly received mobilization payments for projects that were never executed, part of a scandal involving contracts valued at over ₦100 billion.

Among the contracts queried during the investigation was the Setraco contract for the Gbaregolor–Gbekebor –Ogulagha Road. The committee highlighted irregular documentation and gaps in execution records, emphasizing the urgent need for accountability within the Commission’s project management structure.

For many observers, this investigation confirmed what communities across the Niger Delta had long suspected; that the problem was not merely delayed construction but a deeper systemic weakness in the way development projects were managed.

THE PROJECT TODAY: A LEGACY STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Despite these controversies, the road has not entirely disappeared from government planning. The current Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Samuel Ogbuku, has repeatedly reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to completing the project.

According to the Commission’s recent statements, the road, approximately 24 kilometres long with a 576-metre bridge, is now categorized as a legacy project under the Commission’s renewed infrastructure priorities. As of June 2025, officials claimed that about 70 percent of the project had been completed, although design challenges, particularly erosion along sections of the alignment, reportedly required adjustments and structural modifications.

These engineering variations, according to the Commission, contributed to delays and required revisions to the bridge design before construction could proceed further. Still, skepticism remains among many residents who have watched the project move slowly for more than a decade.

POLITICAL OVERSIGHT AND LEGISLATIVE RESPONSIBILITY

Infrastructure oversight in Nigeria does not rest solely with executive agencies. The National Assembly also plays a critical role. Within the 10th National Assembly, the House of Representatives Committee on the NDDC is chaired by Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, representing Ethiope East/Ethiope West Federal Constituency in Delta State, with Jafaru Gambo Leko serving as Deputy Chairman. The Senate counterpart oversight committee is chaired by Asuquo Ekpenyong.

These committees carry the constitutional responsibility of ensuring that agencies such as the Niger Delta Development Commission operate transparently and efficiently. Their oversight is particularly crucial in cases like the Gbaregolor–Ogulagha Road, where large sums of public funds intersect with long-delayed infrastructure projects.

BEYOND BLAME: THE LARGER DEVELOPMENT QUESTION

The Gbaregolor–Gbekebor –Ogulagha Road represents a familiar paradox in the Niger Delta. It is a region that generates enormous wealth through oil production yet struggles with basic infrastructure.

Every abandoned or delayed project reinforces the perception that development initiatives in the region are often announced with political enthusiasm but executed with administrative uncertainty.

Yet, it is also important to acknowledge the enormous challenges of constructing roads across the swampy, erosion-prone terrain of the Niger Delta. Engineering complexities, environmental conditions and funding cycles often complicate infrastructure projects in the region. But complexity cannot become a permanent excuse. Fifteen years is more than enough time to complete a 24-kilometre road.

THE WAY FORWARD

What the people of Delta’s riverine communities deserve today is not another announcement but clarity. The Niger Delta Development Commission should publish a transparent status report detailing: the total funds released for the project since 2009; the percentage of work completed; the engineering adjustments made; and a definitive timeline for completion.

Equally important, legislative oversight bodies must intensify scrutiny to ensure that legacy projects do not become permanent monuments to unfinished promises.

CONCLUSION

Development in the Niger Delta must eventually move beyond ceremonial contract awards and political declarations. Real progress will only be measured by projects completed, communities connected and opportunities created.

The Gbaregolor–Gbekebor–Ogulagha Road still holds the potential to transform the lives of thousands across Bomadi, Burutu and Ughelli South. But for that promise to be fulfilled, accountability must travel the same road as development. Until then, the road remains what it has long been; a path paved with expectations, but still waiting for completion.