The people of Ozoro Kingdom in Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently address the growing hardship in their community caused by several abandoned projects by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, now renamed the Federal Ministry of Regional Development.
In an open letter signed by The Ozoro Vanguard, the community described the situation as “dire and deeply unjust,” warning that years of neglect have left residents without basic infrastructure, electricity, or functional healthcare services. They called on the President to take swift action to ensure the completion of key projects initiated in honour of the late Senator Francis Spanner Okpozo, one of the founding advocates for the establishment of the NDDC.
Ozoro, a fast-growing urban center with over 300,000 residents, is the headquarters of Isoko North Local Government and the second-largest town in Delta South Senatorial District. It also hosts a state-owned university and contributes significantly to Nigeria’s oil production, with about 70 active oil wells producing roughly 7,000 barrels per day. The community said it finds it unacceptable that, despite its economic importance, it continues to suffer from severe underdevelopment.
According to the statement, several multimillion-naira projects under the NDDC have been left unfinished for years. These include the 132/33kV substation and power line project handled by Income Electric Ltd and News Engineering Ltd, which remains incomplete due to missing control panels and uninstalled power lines; the 28.6km Ozoro Township Roads and Drainage project by S.O. Olotu Construction Company, where only half the work was done before contractors abandoned the site; and the 50-bed ultra-modern hospital complex lobbied by Senator James Manager, which has been completely deserted.
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Also abandoned are an ICT centre and a twin lecture theatre complex at Delta State University, Ozoro, as well as the Alua/Egwedhe Road and Drainage project. Under the Ministry of Regional Development, the community listed additional neglected works such as the Ozoro axis of the Ofagbe-Orie-Idheze-Ozoro Road, the uncommissioned Health Centre on Alaka Road, and an incomplete drainage project at Chief Charles Obuvie Street, Uruamudhu Community.
The Ozoro Vanguard expressed deep concern that roads excavated years ago have deteriorated into dangerous craters, while residents live in near-total darkness due to the lack of power supply. They noted that repeated pleas to the contractors and authorities have been ignored, undermining the Federal Government’s promises of inclusive development for the Niger Delta.
“It is a painful contradiction of the very purpose for which the NDDC was created,” the letter read. “We are a community contributing daily to the national economy, yet our people remain deprived of the basic infrastructure needed for decent living.”
The group urged President Tinubu to demonstrate his administration’s commitment to fairness and regional development by compelling the NDDC and the Ministry to return to site immediately. They emphasized that such action would not only restore hope to the people of Ozoro but also strengthen peace and confidence in government institutions across the Niger Delta.
“Ozoro Kingdom stands ready to partner with the Federal Government for sustainable development,” the letter concluded. “Your intervention will reaffirm the Presidency’s dedication to equitable progress in the region and in Nigeria as a whole.”
