Nineteen months after the Federal Government released ₦10.6 million for the rehabilitation of a rural water scheme, residents of Obeta-Ndoki community in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State are still drawing water from a village stream, exposing yet another troubling case of public funds failing to translate into tangible impact.
The project, approved in June 2024 as a 2024 Federal Government intervention under the Niger Delta River Basin Development Authority (NDBDA), was meant to rehabilitate the community’s water scheme, including full reticulation, to provide safe and reliable water for residents. Today, there is no visible work on site.
Community sources told reporters that the entire sum remains with the contractor, Jonac Multi Purpose Company Limited, despite the prolonged delay and the absence of any meaningful mobilisation to site. The abandoned project has forced residents—men, women and children alike—to continue relying on untreated stream water for drinking and domestic use, raising concerns about public health and safety.
“This is not just neglect; it is dangerous,” a community leader said. “We were told the water project had been approved and funded. Almost two years later, nothing has changed. We are still drinking from the stream.”
The situation has renewed public anger over what many describe as a recurring pattern of project abandonment and weak oversight of government-funded contracts, particularly in rural communities. Critics argue that such failures erode public trust and undermine the very purpose of intervention projects meant to improve living conditions in underserved areas.
The delay has also come under sharper scrutiny against the backdrop of Nigeria’s new tax regime, with citizens increasingly demanding accountability and value for money. Analysts say the Obeta-Ndoki case highlights the urgent need for stronger monitoring mechanisms to ensure that released funds result in completed projects, rather than stalled paperwork and silent construction sites.
Residents and concerned stakeholders have called on anti-graft agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to urgently intervene.
They are demanding a full probe into the handling of the ₦10.6 million allocation and immediate steps to compel the contractor to return to site and complete the project without further delay.
“For a community still drinking from a stream in 2026, this is a failure of governance,” a resident said. “Safe water is not a luxury—it is a basic right.”
Get a premium automobile insurance coverage for your vehicle for as low as #15000 only and claim up to #3,000,000 in damages @Zenith Insurance To signup: WhatsApp/Call: +2349028313757
