By Emmanuel Ntekim
Aggrieved youths from the Nsie community in Okobo Local Government Area on Monday stormed and halted construction activities at the Okobo axis of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway.
The protesters are alleging the non-payment and diversion of compensation funds intended for residents impacted by the infrastructure project.
Specifically, the youths accused the Community Liaison Officer (CLO)—a lecturer at the Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU)—of hijacking the packages, implementing haphazard disbursements, and shortchanging legitimate beneficiaries.
Reports gathered by WatchmanPost indicate that while the first phase of the project is nearing its May 2026 deadline, Nsie residents remain outraged. They claim that only a fraction of the ₦18 billion earmarked by the Federal Government for compensation has reached the rightful owners of destroyed houses, farmlands, shrines, tombs, and aquatic ecosystems.
The protesters also criticised Hitech Construction Company, one of the firms handling the project, for failing to ensure that disbursements reached the intended recipients.
The demonstration escalated when the youths, arriving in a convoy of motorcycles, temporarily shut down operations. During the standoff, some company assets were reportedly vandalised.
While the full extent of the damage remains unconfirmed, members of the Nsie Youth Association (NYA) occupied the premises for several hours before community stakeholders intervened.
Local traditional rulers, including Chief Bassey Philip and Chief Bassey John Bassey, appealed for calm, and called upon the Ahta Oro and Paramount Ruler of Okobo, Edidem Ita Okokon, to mediate a resolution.
Comrade Victor Daniel Etim, a senior official of the NYA Central Working Committee, defended the protest as a necessary move to protect community rights, though he distanced the association from the acts of vandalism.
“We thank President Bola Tinubu for this massive project,” Etim stated. “However, it is criminal for an individual to pose as a representative of the people simply to defraud vulnerable beneficiaries.”
Further allegations suggest the CLO manipulated the bank details of several elderly, non-literate village heads to facilitate unauthorized transactions. One resident recounted discovering a mysterious deposit in his account, only to later learn it was compensation for communal land impacted by the project.
To prevent further unrest, the NYA National President, Mr. Unwana Okon Oyononwi, formally reported the matter to the Paramount Ruler. Oyononwi condemned the situation, stating that a single individual should not be allowed to “hold the entire community to ransom.”
In response, a representative from the State Ministry of Works and a consultant identified as Mr. Udoka expressed disappointment over the disruption but assured stakeholders that a lawful investigation would follow.
Conversely, some reports circulating on social media suggest that full compensation may have already been disbursed, leading to internal finger-pointing and mutual suspicion within the community. Observers warn that without a transparent audit, these divisions could deepen.
Despite the friction, independent findings show that Hitech Construction Company has initiated various corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, including job creation and skills empowerment for affected communities along the corridor.
