By joshua 
Edo NDDC Reps Clarifies Misconception On Abraka – Oben Road
By Ikhili Ebalu , Benin City
The commissioner representing Edo State on the NDDC Board Hon Patrick Asowerien has provided some clarifications over the uproar surrounding the purported commissioning of the Abraka-Oben road by the minister of Regional Development,Hon Abubakar Momoh.
Mr Asowerien’s statement aims to calm the tense situation and shed light on the issue, especially given the misconceptions that have arisen regarding road commissioning.
Recalls that, The Youths under the auspices of UGU for Development for change led a protest claiming that the minister of Regional Development Hon Abubakar Momoh Commissioned a non existing Abraka _ Oben road.
According to Mr Asowerien, who was determined to set the record straight, said what the Minister commissioned was the first phase of the 9.8-kilometre Abraka-Oben road, stating plans were afoot to launch the second and third phases later.
Mr Asowerien also staunchly defended the Minister against any accusations, insisting the narrative presented by the protesting youths was misleading.
He emphasized that it is inaccurate to claim that the federal government has completed and commissioned the Abraka-Oben road when, in reality, it is still an ongoing project.
He added further that both the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and other partners are working together to continue to improve the living standards of the people.
Mr. Asowerien remarked, “No one has said that the federal government has completed the Oben road section of the project.”
He also noted that construction work has not yet started on the Orhionmwon section of the 12.18-kilometer Oben-Umugun road, which connects to the Benin-Abraka highway.
He assured that the construction of the link roads connecting Edo and Delta States is being prioritized.
Earlier, Comrade Monday Osemwenkhae, the coordinator of the protesting youths, took journalists on a tour of the community, where he claimed that the Oben section in Orhionmwon is yet to witness construction from Abraka.
The youths who lamented the injustice done to their community following the mention of Oben road during the said commissioning of the Abraka road project reconstructed by the federal government claimed that in reality such a road by the name Abraka-Oben does not exist in the Niger Delta .
Osemwenkhae noted that the federal road project that was commissioned by the Minister of Regional Development Commission is domiciled in Delta State and not extended to Oben community in Edo State.
“We are calling on the minister to help us locate the said Abraka-Oben road which he commissioned. We have no knowledge of such a road by the name Abraka-Oben in our locality.
“We call on President Bola Tinubu to urge the Minister to revisit the host community of Oben to show to the world the federal road that was commissioned in the Edo State Axis on the Benin-Abraka road.
” Oben Community is host community to several oil and gas companies. We want President Bola Tinubu to come see what is going on in Oben community. We constructed the two links road to Oben with community help and support from one major oil giant operating in the community.