DESOPADEC CLASSROOM PROJECT IN IGBIDE: ISOKO YOUTH MUST RISE BEYOND SOCIAL MEDIA COMPLAINTS

The condition of the DESOPADEC-funded six-classroom block at Egbo Primary School, Igbide, has once again raised serious questions about project monitoring and accountability in Isoko communities.

Reports from community members allege that the project has suffered prolonged delays, while concerns have emerged over the quality of work, including claims that sections of the newly installed roof are already leaking even as electrical installations are ongoing.

What is most disturbing is that many of these projects are executed in the very communities where the contractors live and are known. When a contractor secures a government contract meant to benefit his own people, residents naturally expect quality work, not projects that begin showing defects before completion.

This Is Bigger Than One Contractor

The issue should not stop at calling out a contractor. It should force Isoko youths to ask bigger questions:

Who awarded the contract?

What was the approved contract sum?

What specifications were approved?

Who certified each stage of payment?

Has DESOPADEC inspected the project?

Has the community received the project documents?

Is the project meeting the standards taxpayers paid for?

How Isoko Youth Can Hold Agencies Accountable

Instead of limiting complaints to Facebook and WhatsApp, communities can:

✅ Form a project-monitoring committee.

✅ Demand the project's Bill of Quantities (BOQ) and contract specifications.

✅ Take photographs and videos of defects with dates and locations.

✅ Submit formal petitions to Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission and Niger Delta Development Commission.

✅ Invite local media to inspect and document projects.

✅ Demand that contractors return to site to correct defects before final payments are released.

✅ Track all ongoing projects in their communities and publish regular reports.

The Era of Silence Must End

For decades, billions have been allocated for development across oil-producing communities. Yet many communities still struggle with poor schools, bad roads, inadequate healthcare facilities, and abandoned projects.

If Isoko youths genuinely desire development, they must become watchdogs—not just during elections, but throughout the life cycle of every public project.

The six-classroom block at Egbo Primary School should serve as a test case. If there are genuine defects, they should be corrected immediately. If public funds have been mismanaged, those responsible must be held accountable.

Development does not happen through allocations alone. It happens when citizens actively monitor how every naira is spent.

Chief Prosper Edo and other community leaders are urged to engage the contractor and relevant authorities to ensure the project is completed to the required standard and delivered in the best interest of the pupils and the community.

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