Leadnaija
A fresh controversy has erupted in Cross River State as the Niger Delta Development Advocates (NDDA) accused the state government of falsely claiming credit for infrastructure projects executed by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
However, the group, has condemned what it described as a misleading narrative by the state authorities, urging the government to give due credit to the federal agency.
In a press statement released on Friday and signed by NDDA’s Media Consultant, Victory Oso, the group accused the Cross River State Government of attempting to rebrand projects funded and executed solely by the NDDC as state achievements.
Among the projects at the center of the dispute are the Idang Street and Nyaghasang Road projects in Calabar, which were officially commissioned on June 13.
The projects, which were officially unveiled on June 13, 2025, have become the center of a heated public debate, with state officials and federal agencies giving conflicting accounts of their origins and execution.
According to the NDDA, the Idang Street Road Project was entirely initiated, funded, and implemented by the NDDC, a federal agency tasked with infrastructure development in the Niger Delta region.
The group claims that any attempt by the state government to assert ownership of the project amounts to misinformation and a disservice to the public.
“We have carefully reviewed the press release issued by the Cross River State Government through the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Nsa Gill,” the statement reads.
“While the statement seeks to dismiss reports of disruption at the event and downplay the role of the Federal Government, it contains serious contradictions that must be addressed for the sake of public clarity.”
The NDDA cited conflicting remarks by key state officials, including the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Hon. Pius Ankpo Edet, who stated that the Nyaghasang Road was “initiated and funded by the Cross River State Government” and that “the NDDC was never formally involved.”
However, the Mayor of Calabar Municipality, Apostle James Anam, reportedly acknowledged that the NDDC did intervene in asphalting sections of the road before later organizing the official commissioning.
“This contradiction raises fundamental questions,” Oso said. “If NDDC was ‘never involved,’ how did it intervene with asphalt work on Nyaghasang Road? If the road was fully state-funded, why was a federal agency commissioning it in a live broadcast?”
The group called on the state government to stop politicizing development efforts and instead focus on coordination and transparency in delivering quality infrastructure to the people.
“Attempts to downplay or politically reframe federal government interventions do not serve the people of Cross River. The people of Nyaghasang and Idang Street, like every Nigerian, deserve transparency, not competing narratives and confusion,” the statement concluded.
As of press time, the Cross River State Government has not issued a formal response to the NDDA’s accusations.
Below is the unedited statement:
PRESS STATEMENT BY NDDA
Clarifying Cross River State Government Misleading Claims on Idang Street and Nyaghasang Road Projects in Calabar
We have carefully reviewed the press release issued on June 13, 2025, by the Cross River State Government through the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Nsa Gill regarding the commissioning of NDDC projects in Calabar specifically the Idang Street and Nyaghasang Road projects.
While the statement seeks to dismiss reports of disruption at the event and downplay the role of the Federal Government ( ofcourse the videos is everywhere), it unfortunately contains serious contradictions that must be addressed for the sake of public clarity.
On one hand, Hon. Pius Ankpo Edet, Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, claimed:
“The Nyaghasang road was initiated and funded by the Cross River State Government… The NDDC was never formally involved in the planning or execution of the project.”
Yet, in the same release, Apostle James Anam, Mayor of Calabar Municipality, confirmed:
“While work was ongoing, the NDDC appeared to have intervened by asphalting certain sections of the road, only to later return and announce a commissioning.”
This contradiction raises fundamental questions:
If NDDC was “never involved,” how did it intervene with asphalt work on Nyaghasang Road?
If the road was fully state-funded, why was a federal agency commissioning it in a live broadcast?
The undisputed fact, based on records and presence at the event, is that the Idang Street Road Project alongside other projects commissioned on June 13, 2025 is a fully-funded initiative of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The NDDC, planned, executed, and officially commissioned the project.
Attempts to downplay or politically reframe federal government interventions do not serve the people of Cross River. Rather than claim ownership of projects post-completion, state and federal agencies must work in synergy, respecting each other’s mandates.
The people of Nyaghasang and Idang Street, like every Nigerian, deserve transparency not competing narratives and confusion.
We urge the Cross River State Government to clarify its position and recognize the rightful agency responsible for these projects. Proper coordination and acknowledgment are essential in delivering quality infrastructure to our people.
Signed:
Victory Oso
Media Consultant
NIGER DELTA DEVELOPMENT ADVOCATES
