Protests rocks Nigeria’s South-South Asaba as youths demand accountability from Governor

Nigeria

A surge of protests yesterday shook Nigeria’s South-South Asaba as youths from the communities of Oshimili North and neighboring Aniocha Local Government Areas united to challenge the State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori over the prolonged neglect of critical road infrastructure in their communities. 

Sky News Africa obtained that, feelings of marginalization and betrayer by a government that once enjoyed overwhelming electoral support in the areas, by the youths led to the protests. 

The youth also made a resolute call for urgent action and justice.

The unrest is rooted in the state government’s proposed road construction plans, which locals argue blatantly overlook the dire infrastructural needs of Oshimili North and Aniocha. These agrarian regions, vital to Delta State’s food supply chain and economy, express deep frustration at feeling abandoned by political leadership they backed overwhelmingly in 2023, delivering Governor Oborevwori a staggering ninety percent voter mandate.

Comrade Henry Mojume Umunna, convener of Concerned Youths for Good Governance, led the protest with a powerful silent march. At its heart, a wheelbarrow brimmed with rotting yams, broken farming tools, and bottles filled with floodwater taken from submerged farmlands. “These symbols reveal the depth of our suffering—the toll of government neglect,” Umunna declared passionately.

The highlight of the protest was the presentation of a comprehensive 72-page report titled The Cost of Abandonment, prepared alongside economists from Delta State University. This dossier outlines the catastrophic economic, social, and healthcare impact caused by the decay of four vital roads: Ukala Okpunor, Ukala Okwute, Ebu, and the Ezi Boundary Road—lifelines for farmers and traders supplying major markets in Asaba and Onitsha.

Umunna disclosed that the collapse of Ukala Okpunor leads to monthly losses exceeding twenty-eight million naira from spoiled produce failing to reach Asaba’s Ossissa Market. Worse still, the degradation of Ezi Boundary Road has precipitated a seventy-eight percent plunge in local government revenue since 2022. “This is no mere infrastructure issue; it is an economic disaster,” he stressed, noting clinic closures and a seventy-two percent spike in maternal mortality. The grim moniker “valley of the shadow of death” now haunts Ezi Road due to its impassability and medical emergencies being unmet.

Financial losses to Delta State, Umunna estimated, amount to roughly 1.8 billion naira annually, or nearly 5 million naira daily. Repairing these roads would revive agricultural commerce responsible for nearly a quarter of goods in local markets and restore tax revenues near 490 million naira per annum, underpinning the urgent need for government intervention.

Despite these stark facts and persistent appeals, government response remains largely absent. “For nine months, our petitions—from the Commissioner for Works to the Governor and local authorities—have been ignored,” Umunna lamented, highlighting repeated community delegations’ visits to Government House that yielded empty promises. He denounced the neglect as “economic assassination” and warned of escalating distrust.

The protest culminated in symbolic acts of defiance—unanswered petitions stacked into a “Monuments of Neglect” pyramid were set ablaze, alongside mock budget documents labeled “Oshimili North Allocation.” Banners proclaimed “2027 IS A ROAD WE WILL BUILD,” signaling a vow to transform neglect into political leverage in upcoming elections.

Observers point to Governor Oborevwori’s focus on visible urban projects like flyovers and official residences as heightening rural disenchantment, further fuelling tensions. With protests intensifying, Comrade Umunna cautioned that ongoing government silence risks shattering the political trust these communities once placed in their leaders.

At this critical juncture, Governor Oborevwori faces a choice: respond swiftly and justly to these documented grievances, or contend with growing unrest and political alienation. The youths of Oshimili North and Aniocha have made clear that neglect on the roads is no longer tolerable—and their demand for accountability grows louder.