Arogbo Bridge Scandal: Community Leaders Petition EFCC Over Alleged Diversion of Public Funds
The leadership and concerned stakeholders of Arogbo Kingdom in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State have formally petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the controversial abandonment of the Agadagba-Obon to Arogbo bridge project allegedly awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
In a strongly worded open letter addressed to the Chairman of the EFCC, , community representatives accused the NDDC and contractors linked to the project of abandoning what was described as a critical developmental lifeline for the people of Arogbo Kingdom despite alleged release of public funds.
The petition, jointly signed by Pharm. Allen Seiosuwowei Ebi and Comrade Kpainko Thaddeus, President of the Arogbo Ijaw Youth Forum, called for a “comprehensive, transparent, and uncompromising investigation” into the circumstances surrounding the failed bridge project.
According to the petitioners, the project was approved between 2011 and 2015 and was widely celebrated across the kingdom as a major breakthrough that would end decades of infrastructural neglect, isolation, and economic hardship suffered by the people of Arogbo.
They alleged that the contract was awarded to an Italian construction company identified as Picolo Brunelli Engineering Limited, which reportedly mobilised to site, cleared parts of the road corridor, and oversaw demolition of affected buildings before abruptly abandoning the project without explanation.
“For over eleven years, the people of Arogbo Kingdom have remained in darkness regarding the fate of this project,” the petition stated.
The petitioners further alleged that credible information available within the public domain suggests that substantial public funds may have been disbursed for the execution of the bridge project, yet no visible construction has been completed on site.
They warned that if public resources allocated for the bridge were diverted, mismanaged, or embezzled, such action would amount to a grave betrayal of public trust and a direct injustice against the people of Arogbo Kingdom.
The group urged the EFCC to investigate the NDDC, contractors, government officials, and every individual connected to the project, insisting that anyone found culpable of corruption, contract inflation, diversion of funds, or abuse of office should face prosecution in accordance with Nigerian law.
The petition also lamented the continued silence of political office holders, influential elites, and other stakeholders over the matter, describing the abandoned bridge as a painful symbol of failed promises and administrative negligence in the Niger Delta region.
While commending the anti-corruption drive of President and the leadership of the EFCC Chairman, the petitioners expressed confidence that the anti-graft agency would act decisively to uncover the truth behind the abandoned project.
They maintained that the bridge remains vital to the social and economic survival of Arogbo Kingdom, stressing that the continued absence of the project has negatively affected transportation, healthcare access, education, commerce, and overall development in the riverine community.
The petition has already begun generating reactions among concerned indigenes and residents, many of whom are demanding accountability and urgent government action over what they described as years of neglect and possible financial misconduct surrounding the abandoned project.
