By Monday Ajogun
Prince Kassim Afegbua, the Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, has appealed to residents to be patient with the state government over the condition of roads, saying major repairs would be undertaken during the dry season.
Afegbua made the appeal on Wednesday during the ministry’s monthly media briefing in Benin to update journalists on the developmental strides of the Governor Monday Okpebholo-led administration.
He said attempting major road repairs during the rainy season would amount to a waste of construction materials, adding that contractors could not effectively fix roads under the prevailing heavy rainfall.
According to him, the administration is determined to address the road infrastructure challenges across the state when weather conditions become favourable.
“Edo State Government under the leadership of Sen. Monday Okpebholo is very much alive to its responsibility of ensuring that it contends with developmental challenges confronting the state, both emerging and inherited ones.
“Of critical reference is the issue of roads. If we had an opportunity like the previous government of doing credible, quality and durable roads, we will not be complaining or lamenting now.
“A lot of these roads within the Benin metropolis were actually rehabilitated and repaired during the previous government under Gov. Godwin Obaseki,” he said.
Afegbua, however, criticised the quality of some road projects executed by the immediate past administration, saying several roads had deteriorated despite being rehabilitated.
He cited roads within Government Reserved Area (GRA), Iyekogba Estate, Irihih and Okoroma as examples, saying the government had assessed some of the roads reportedly constructed or rehabilitated under the previous administration.
“If you go there now, the roads are full of potholes and decayed infrastructure. One begins to wonder what the celebration was about?
“Roads were supposed to last for a minimum of 10 years and maximum of 30 years,” he said.
The commissioner urged residents to be patient with the Okpebholo administration, assuring that the government remained committed to making roads across the state motorable.
He said the administration was documenting the condition of roads across the state in response to criticisms of its performance on social media.
“No construction engineer will attempt to fix potholes and bad roads during the rainy season. We are experiencing heavy rain now,” Afegbua said.
The commissioner was joined at the briefing by the Commissioner for Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Mr Chris Okaeben; Executive Secretary, Edo State Drugs and Health Commodities Management Agency, Mr Kenny Okojie; and Special Adviser on Health Matters, Dr Andrew Iyamu.
