12 Years, Millions Spent, and Still No ICT Centre: The Tragic Tale of Abba Community in Nwangele, Imo State

 

Blessing Bliss

In 2013, I was a Senior Secondary (S.S.) 2 student preparing for my promotional exams. Like many students, I was eager to advance to the next class, looking forward to new challenges and opportunities.

That same year, the people of Abba community in Nwangele Local Government Area, Imo State, shared a similar sense of anticipation.

The community, along with Nkwerre, Njaba, and Isu, had just received news of an ICT Centre project, one that promised to bridge the digital divide, create job opportunities, and equip youths with vital technological skills.

For the first time in years, mothers praised Chukwu Okike Abiama for remembering their community. Parents envisioned employment opportunities for their children, while young people dreamt of acquiring digital skills in the promised hub.

However, 12 years later, the ICT Centre remains nothing more than an abandoned structure, an unfulfilled promise lost in the shadows of corruption, mismanagement, and neglect.

In 2025, Tracka, a civic engagement arm of BudgIT, launched an investigation into federal constituency and capital projects across Imo State.

Their findings uncovered a disturbing reality, the Abba ICT Centre, which had received substantial funding, was still in ruins.

According to government expenditure data on GovSpend.ng, a total of ₦20,808,243 was allocated for the completion of the ICT Centre under the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

The project with S/N 382 and project code ERGP29163682 was marked as "ongoing" on Govspend  website, yet, on the ground, there was no sign of work being done.

When a BudgIT investigator visited the community to locate the project site, many residents were unaware that an ICT Centre was ever planned.

It was only through a former youth leader, Prince Tobechi Egbu, that the investigator was able to locate the dilapidated structure, untouched since its launch over a decade ago.

The real shock came when further investigations revealed that millions of naira had been disbursed to a contractor in 2022 and 2023 for the project’s completion.

December 31, 2022: The Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs paid ₦14,162,790.70 to Tunal Resources Ltd as part-payment for the ICT Centre's construction.

December 13, 2023: The same Ministry disbursed an additional ₦12,213,060.47 to Tunal Resources Ltd for the same project.

Despite these payments, not a single stone had been added to the existing structure.

According to NG.Check.Com, Tunal Resources Ltd, the company awarded the contract, was registered on December 16, 2003, under registration number RC 501576. The directors listed are Atilola Robert Tunde, Helen Atilola, and Oluwole Oyewole.

If this company received over ₦26 million in two years for the completion of the ICT Centre, why is the building still abandoned?

When confronted with these findings, the traditional ruler of Abba community, His Royal Highness Ndubueze Maduabuchukwu Eze Nwaruogu (The Uburu II of Abba Autonomous Community, Nwangele LGA), expressed shock and disappointment.

According to him, the project was introduced to the community by a, late Chief Ikenga who presented it as a personal initiative rather than a federally funded project.

"We thought it was a personal project," he said. "It is really sad to know that millions have been allocated to this project, yet after 12 years, we have nothing to show for it."

His statement underscores a larger issue: the lack of transparency in project execution, where contractors and politicians manipulate communities into believing that government-funded projects are their personal gifts.

Now that the truth is out, the Abba community wants accountability.

Following these revelations, community leaders have decided to petition the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and Tunal Resources Ltd to demand answers on:

1. Why the ICT Centre remains abandoned despite multiple payments to the contractor.

2. What measures are in place to hold Tunal Resources Ltd accountable for non-performance?

3. Whether further funds have been disbursed for the project without any actual work done.

They also plan to escalate the matter to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Additionally, CSOs like BudgIT, SERAP, and media outlets are being mobilized to amplify the issue, ensuring that the voices of the Abba people are heard.

The abandoned ICT Centre in Abba is a glaring example of the corruption that plagues Nigeria’s public projects. Across the country, countless government-funded initiatives lie unfinished while contractors and officials enrich themselves at the expense of the people.

The case of Abba is not just about an ICT Centre, it is about the right of a community to benefit from public funds meant for its development.

It is about holding those in power accountable and ensuring that public resources are not siphoned into private pockets.

For Abba, 12 years is long enough. The time for answers and justice is now.