Ebu: Delta’s Forgotten Community Still Trapped in Decades of Neglect

By : Ike Philip Abiagom- Newsbreeze

Ebu Community in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State has renewed its call for urgent government intervention, lamenting what residents describe as decades of abandonment and infrastructural neglect.

For over three decades, the agrarian community, renowned for its agricultural potential and contribution to food production in Delta North Senatorial District, has continued to grapple with poor infrastructure, particularly the absence of a functional road network linking it to neighboring communities and major urban centres.

Residents say the deplorable condition of roads leading to the community has not only hindered economic activities but has also made transportation of farm produce difficult, thereby affecting the livelihoods of farmers and traders.

The most pressing challenge confronting the community, according to stakeholders, is the deteriorated state of the Ebu–Ezi-Ukala Road, which serves as the major gateway into the community. They noted that the road has remained in a deplorable condition for many years, making access to the area extremely difficult, especially during the rainy season.

Newsbreeze crew recalled that a few weeks ago, government officials and delegates visiting Ebu encountered serious difficulties accessing the community due to the collapsed sections of the Ogbolu–Illah Federal Road. As a result, the delegation was forced to use the neglected Ezi-Ukala–Ebu Road, a journey many described as harrowing.

The delegates visit to Ebu exposed the extent of the hardship faced daily by the people of Ebu.

Newsbreeze crew, who witnessed the visit, disclosed that some members of the delegation privately expressed concern over the state of infrastructure in the community and acknowledged the suffering of residents caused by the poor road network.

Ebu is one of the most isolated communities in Delta State despite its enormous agricultural potential. Farmers face huge challenges transporting their produce to markets, while residents struggle daily to move in and out of the community, a community stakeholder said.

The people of Ebu are therefore appealing to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to urgently intervene by reconstructing the Ebu–Ezi-Ukala Road, which they described as the community's only reliable access route.

They expressed confidence that the governor's administration, under its MORE Agenda, would give attention to the plight of the community and bring lasting relief to residents.

The community maintained that rehabilitating the road would not only improve transportation and economic activities but would also open up Ebu for greater agricultural development, investment opportunities, and social progress.

As the cries of the people grow louder, stakeholders insist that the time has come for decisive action to end years of neglect and connect Ebu Community to the mainstream of development in Delta State.