The President General of the Abavo Clan Union, Mr. Justine Onyeibe, has called on the Federal Government to urgently complete the abandoned Agbor-Amukpe road dualisation project, saying its neglect has worsened insecurity and crippled economic activities in the region.
Speaking at a media briefing held at the Abavo Town Union hall in Delta State, Onyeibe lamented that the dilapidated state of the road—left unattended for over a decade—has turned it into a “kidnappers’ perfect hunting ground,” exposing commuters to frequent ambushes.
“The terrible, potholed, single-lane stretches, often reduced to a muddy track during rains, are not just an inconvenience; they are the single greatest enabler of criminal activity in our region,” he said, addressing traditional rulers, community leaders, and journalists.
Onyeibe explained that the contract for the dualisation was awarded in two sections in 2014, with Messrs CCECC handling the Agbor-Amukpe axis covering Abavo. While contractors were mobilised between 2015 and 2016, work has since been abandoned.
He stressed that the neglect has taken a huge toll on lives and livelihoods, with local farmers unable to move yam, cassava, plantain, tomatoes, and other produce to distant markets—forcing many to watch their harvests rot by the roadside.
“The dualisation of this road is nothing short of a revolution for Abavo,” Onyeibe declared. “It will reduce transport costs, attract agro-investors and processing plants, create jobs, and transform our town into a commercial hub. It will also improve access to healthcare and education.”
Calling the project “a covenant with the people,” he urged the Federal Government to see it through to completion, insisting that doing so would help end the scourge of kidnapping along the highway.
“Our message to the Federal Government is simple and clear: Eliminate the scourge of kidnapping on this highway by completing its dualisation,” he said.
He further appealed to the media to serve as watchdogs and amplifiers of the community’s struggle, ensuring that the road’s story becomes one of “prosperity, growth, and development.”
