Delta community protest bad road, 15-year power outage

Residents of Ivrogbo-Irri in Isoko South local government area of Delta State have called on the state government to rehabilitate their damaged access road and restore electricity to the community.

The community youths, women and community leaders, appealed to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to urgently intervene, saying the deteriorating road and prolonged absence of electricity have hindered economic and social activities in the community.

Staging a peaceful protest, residents said the road is particularly important to the local economy, which they described as being largely dependent on farming, palm oil production, fishing, timber-related activities and sand excavation.

They said the poor road conditions has made it increasingly difficult to transport farm produce and other goods to neighbouring communities and markets, with the resulting challenges affecting livelihoods.

The protesters also raised concerns over what they described as more than 15 years without public electricity supply, saying the situation has affected businesses, education and other aspects of community life.

Speaking during the protest, one of the residents attributed the worsening condition of the access road to damage caused by flooding in 2012, 2018 and 2022.

The residents said Ivrogbo-Irri’s location within a riverine environment makes the community particularly vulnerable during periods of heavy flooding, and expressed concern that another severe flood could further compromise access to the area.

The protesters also described the community as an oil-producing area and appealed for greater attention to infrastructure and basic amenities.

They urged the Delta State Government to rehabilitate the road before the peak of the next flooding season, warning that further deterioration could leave the community more isolated from neighbouring areas.

The residents appealed to Governor Oborevwori to address the road and electricity challenges, alongside other infrastructure needs, to improve living conditions and economic opportunities in Ivrogbo-Irri.

The protest was peaceful, with residents using the demonstration to draw government attention to what they described as longstanding infrastructure deficits in the community.