In 2018, the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development awarded the sum of N71.8 million for the construction of a mini-sports stadium at Okurikang in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State to help curb youth restiveness in the community.
Eta Mbora, a member representing Calabar Municipal/Odukpani Federal constituency in the National Assembly, says he facilitated this project.
Okurikang is a few kilometers away from a historical site, the iconic residence of a Scottish missionary, Mary Mitchell Slessor who pitched her tent in the community and stopped the killing of twins in the area.
Investigation by CrossRiverWatch shows that five years down the line, the project which had a 24-week completion timeline is just two coaches of blocks covered with thick bushes despite the money released.
Many residents have no idea such a project exists in the community because it was abandoned shortly after the construction began.
<b>Community Accuses Eta Mbora Of Derailing The Project</b>
While many inhabitants of the area do not know that such a project exists in the community, the Village Head of the Okurikang, Chief Asuquo Effiong Etim told CrossRiverWatch that his community was tricked to give out their vast plots of land by Eta Mbora who had allegedly obstructed the project.
The Chief and his councilmen just returned from putting “Ekpe,” a traditional injunction in a piece of land when this reporter visited. Chief Effoing gently grabbed a seat in his house passage, positioned his walking stick by his side, cleared his throat, and said the project had been abandoned.
With his councilmen around him, he said: “They have not done anything. It is an abandoned project. They brought a project like that and called us to the town hall. Since then, nothing else has been heard. Since they came and messed up the whole thing and today, the work has not progressed from the foundation level since 2019.”
He continued, “you can take a shot of it and go. The politician (Eta Mbora) and the government are holding it. Grass has covered the whole land. Nothing is done and they are sitting on the project.
“We cannot ask questions because there is no one to ask, no government official has ever come to ask about the project. We were even looking for who to report. It is a very big land we gave them, and we wanted to use that land to build a secondary school but they came and demanded the land to build the mini- sports center, which we gave them,” he said as his fellow Village Head – Chief Ekpo Okon of Asiakobufa community – Okurikang and others echoed in affirmation.
Chief Effiong further complained that they were promised some entitlements as custodians of the land but have not received anything since the promise was made.
The project site that should have been the mini-sports center is populated with thick bushes covered with grass that native cows and a few domestic animals now feed on.
What appeared to be a table tennis court is already falling off and also overwhelmed by grasses. A few foundations around the site are just two coaches of blocks also covered with grasses.
