“Billions Vanished, Bridge Abandoned: Arogbo Kingdom Drags NDDC Before EFCC”

By Passman Akpos

A fresh corruption storm may be brewing around the long-abandoned Agadagba-Obon to Arogbo bridge project in Ondo State following a strongly worded open letter to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Olukoyede Ola, demanding a full-scale investigation into the controversial project.

In the petition made public on Wednesday, Pharm. Allen S.E, who identified himself as a concerned citizen of Arogbo Kingdom in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State, accused the Niger Delta Development Commission of failing to explain the sudden abandonment of the multi-billion-naira bridge project after initial construction activities commenced years ago.

According to the letter, the bridge project, which was reportedly approved between 2011 and 2015, was celebrated across Arogbo Kingdom as a historic breakthrough that would end decades of infrastructural neglect and economic isolation suffered by the riverine community.

The petitioner alleged that residents were informed at the time that the contract had been awarded to an Italian construction company, Picolo Brunelli Engineering Limited, and that early works including site clearing and demolition of affected structures had already begun before the project mysteriously stalled.

He lamented that more than eleven years after the project was flagged off, there has been no official explanation from the NDDC or the contractors concerning the fate of the bridge, despite reports that huge public funds may have been released for its execution.

The open letter raised serious concerns about possible diversion or mismanagement of public funds, insisting that if money was truly disbursed for the project without visible results, then those responsible must be held accountable.

“The people of Arogbo Kingdom deserve answers, transparency, and justice,” the petitioner declared, while calling on the EFCC to launch what he described as a “comprehensive, transparent, and uncompromising investigation” into all agencies, contractors, and individuals connected to the project.

The letter also praised the anti-corruption posture of the current EFCC leadership under Olukoyede Ola, stating that his administration had restored public confidence in the fight against corruption since his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Pharm. Allen described the abandoned bridge as more than an infrastructure project, saying it represented hope, economic liberation, improved healthcare access, education, and social integration for the people of Arogbo Kingdom.He further accused political leaders, elites, and stakeholders of remaining silent while the project gradually faded into abandonment, insisting that continued silence would amount to complicity.

The Agadagba-Obon to Arogbo bridge project has now become a growing subject of debate among indigenes and residents of the oil-rich riverine communities, with many demanding answers over what happened to the proposed development initiative that once generated massive excitement across the kingdom.