One Year in Office: OPAF Alleges Zero Commissioned Landmark Projects Despite ₦33.8bn Allocation, Passes Vote of No Confidence on OSOPADEC Boss.
…Says ₦33.8 Billion Annual Allocation Yet to Translate into Tangible Development Across Oil-Producing Communities
The Ondo People’s Accountability Front (OPAF), led by its President, Comrade Utanghan Education, has passed a vote of no confidence on the Chairman of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Prince Biyi Poroye, alleging that one year after assuming office, no major project initiated under his administration has been completed and commissioned across the Commission’s mandate areas.
Prince Poroye was inaugurated as Chairman of OSOPADEC on June 16, 2025. As his administration marks exactly one year in office on June 16, 2026, OPAF expressed concern over what it described as a widening gap between the Commission’s substantial financial resources and the level of development delivered to oil-producing communities in Ondo State.
According to the group, despite reports that OSOPADEC receives approximately ₦33.82 billion annually from statutory allocations, many communities within its mandate areas continue to face poor infrastructure, inadequate healthcare facilities, lack of potable water, shoreline erosion, unemployment, and abandoned projects.
OPAF alleged that the Commission’s activities over the past year have been largely characterized by project flag-offs, inspections, media engagements, and public announcements, with no major completed projects officially commissioned for public use.
“After one year in office, the people deserve to see completed and functional projects that directly improve their lives. Development should not be measured by ceremonies and announcements, but by tangible impact on the people,” Comrade Utanghan Education stated.
The group further questioned the sustainability of repeated project launches without clear completion timelines and called for transparency in the execution of all ongoing projects under the Commission.
Among the projects highlighted by OPAF is the 1,000-metre concrete walkway project in Obe-Nla, reportedly valued at ₦1.7 billion. The group called for full disclosure of the project’s scope, valuation, funding structure, and execution timeline.
OPAF also raised concerns over the General Hospital project in Agadagba-Obon, initially awarded in 2010, noting that despite multiple reviews and administrative changes, the project remains uncompleted over a decade later.
The accountability group also criticized what it described as uneven distribution of development projects across OSOPADEC mandate areas, urging equitable attention between Ilaje and Ese-Odo Local Government Areas.
Particular attention was drawn to coastal communities such as Ayetoro, Awoye, Abereke, and Atijere shoreline areas in Ilaje Local Government Area, where residents continue to battle severe sea incursion and coastal erosion, threatening homes, livelihoods, and infrastructure.
OPAF said these communities urgently require shoreline protection and environmental intervention in line with OSOPADEC’s statutory mandate.
The group also highlighted pressing infrastructural challenges in several communities within the Ukparama axis of Ese-Odo Local Government Area, including Ajapa and Akpata communities.
In Ajapa, residents reportedly lack access to potable water and depend on untreated stream water for daily use. The group also called for the construction of modern concrete landing jetties and durable footbridges to improve mobility and economic activity.
Similarly, the Akpata communities, including Tamaraubotei, Ugoububogho, Ojudo-Ama, and others, were described as underserved, with dilapidated wooden walkways and abandoned infrastructure projects posing safety risks to residents.
OPAF maintained that while OSOPADEC has initiated several projects, the pace of completion and level of delivery remain inadequate considering the volume of resources reportedly available to the Commission.
Consequently, the organization called on the Ondo State House of Assembly, anti-corruption agencies, civil society organizations, and other oversight bodies to conduct a comprehensive review of OSOPADEC’s allocations, project execution, contract awards, and expenditures over the past year.
The group concluded by urging the Commission to prioritize the completion of ongoing projects and ensure equitable, visible development across all oil-producing communities, stressing that residents deserve improved healthcare, potable water, quality roads, shoreline protection, functional jetties, and sustainable economic empowerment programmes.
