Residents of Idanre Local Government Area of Ondo State have appealed to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to intervene in the Idanre–Owena federal road project, which they believe has been abandoned.
They said the Idanre–Owena road project was awarded in 2023, but no work has been carried out since then, leaving the road in a deplorable condition.
This was contained in a petition to the minister by Banji Olusesan on behalf of concerned residents of the local government area. The petition was made available to our correspondent on Monday.
According to the petition, the poor state of the road has been causing hardship, economic losses and safety risks to residents, hence the need for the Federal Government’s intervention.
The petition read in part, “We write as concerned citizens and residents of Idanre Local Government Area, Ondo State, to respectfully request the intervention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission regarding the Idanre–Owena Road Project.
“The Idanre–Owena Road was officially awarded on 27th January 2023 for rehabilitation and reconstruction. Despite the award, no contractor has been seen on site from the date of the award till now.
“There has been no visible commencement of work, no equipment mobilisation, and no construction activity whatsoever. Shockingly, the project continues to appear in the federal budget as an ‘ongoing project’, creating the impression that work is in progress when nothing has been executed on the ground.
“This situation raises serious concerns of mismanagement and possible diversion of public funds, as the communities have derived no benefit from the awarded project.”
The concerned residents demanded urgent action from the government to immediately suspend “any further payment or release of funds on the Idanre–Owena Road project.”
They also called for an independent verification and investigation into the status of the project and funds released for it, as well as the public disclosure of the name of the contractor and the amounts approved and released.
While urging the government to prosecute “any individual or contractor found to have mismanaged or misrepresented the project, ” they called for the proper re-award of the contract or the genuine commencement of the road project for the benefit of residents of Idanre Local Government Area.
“We submit this petition in the interest of transparency, accountability, and development. We trust that your office will treat this matter with the urgency it deserves and take necessary steps to protect public funds and ensure that the Idanre–Owena Road is properly rehabilitated,” they appealed.
