Flooding: Enugu resident sends FOI request to FG over abandoned Ivo Dam project

A concerned Enugu State resident, Mr Jude Ogbonna, has written to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, requesting the release of all documents relating to the Ivo River Dam Project in accordance with the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011.

His request comes days after flooding wreaked havoc on several communities in Aninri Local Government Area of the state.

The letter, dated October 13, 2026, and titled “Application for All Relevant Paperworks Relating to the Award of Ivo River Dam Project/Ivo Multi-Purpose Earth Dam,” was sighted by DAILY POST on Thursday.

Ogbonna, a publisher, requested details of the contract from the ministry, including the letter of award or award notice, contract agreement or service-level agreement, bill of quantities (BOQ), project specifications, bidding and procurement records, approval documents, payment and disbursement records, as well as project status and completion reports.

In the letter, he said he understood that the Ivo River Dam Project, also known as the Ivo Multi-Purpose Earth Dam, was first captured in the national budget by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2009.

“I also understand that D.A. Construction Limited and Anbeez Services Nigeria Limited were involved in the contract at some point.

“If the facts I have are correct, the project supposedly commenced in 2012.

“However, it has remained largely abandoned 14 years later, a development that has led to recurring disasters, especially in the surrounding Okpanku and Mpu communities in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State,” he stated.

Ogbonna described the recent flooding as only one of several incidents that had affected the communities over the years.

“That particular incident was just the tip of the iceberg, as many unreported cases of devastation had occurred in the past in the same areas due to the abandoned project.

“While public outcries have reached the representatives of the zone, there have been conflicting accounts of why the Ivo River Dam Project/Ivo Multi-Purpose Earth Dam was abandoned. It is in light of this that I am requesting all the paperwork relating to the project since its inception, as the people of Aninri truly deserve to know the truth about the project.

“Please use your good office to help my people understand the root cause of this menace, which has continued to cost them their lives and property,” he added.

Under the FOI Act, the ministry has seven working days to respond to the request.