A civic tech organisation, Monitoring Transparency in Nigeria Governance (MonITNG), has urged the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the recurrent budgetary allocations for an uncompleted dam project in Edo State.
The project, titled “Construction of Earth Dam and Water Scheme for Otuo and District, Owan East Local Government Area, Edo State”, was first funded in 2017 with N500 million and scheduled for completion in 2020. However, despite multiple appropriations over the years and ministry transfers, the project remains unexecuted.
In the 2025 federal budget, the same project resurfaced with a fresh allocation of N1 billion, sparking outrage.
MonITNG noted that despite nearly eight years of funding, residents of Otuo and surrounding communities still rely on unsafe streams for drinking water and lack irrigation facilities for farming, worsening poverty and disease risks.
The group recalled that the project had previously been flagged by the ICPC Constituency Project Monitoring Group, yet no visible work has been delivered.
“This raises critical questions: why does the same project continue to reappear in the budget without progress, and who benefits from this cycle of repeated funding?” the organisation queried.
Calling for urgent action, MonITNG insisted:
“ICPC and EFCC must urgently investigate this project, track all allocations from 2017 to 2025, and hold those responsible accountable.”
The group stressed that Nigerians deserve functional infrastructure, safe water, and irrigation access rather than “phantom projects” that waste taxpayers’ money.
