Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, said his administration will continue to reconstruct and repair damaged federal highways in the state to ease the suffering of the people.
Okpebholo stated this on Sunday when he visited the Ogheghe–Ologbo axis of the Benin–Sapele Road, a section of the highway which has become almost unmotorable after the bypass, drawing widespread concern from motorists and residents.
PUNCH Online had reported that a petrol tanker caught fire on Saturday at the Ogheghe junction on Sapele Road after falling as a result of failed portions on the road.
In a video that circulated on Saturday evening, a man was heard saying that the incident happened at the Ogheghe junction by the bypass.
He noted that the tanker fell and caught fire as residents stayed away from the inferno.
In a statement on Monday by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, Okpebholo said that after the major interventions on the federal roads by the state government, he would approach the Federal Government for reimbursement of funds spent.
He said he cannot sit back and allow the daily carnage on major federal highways, which the previous administration refused to repair in the state.
The governor expressed dismay at the deplorable condition of the road.
“This administration will continue to reconstruct and repair damaged federal highways in the state in order to ease the suffering of the people.
“You can see for yourself how terrible this place is. This place looks as if there has never been a government here ever. The PDP government, to me, is going to be blamed for this. On Saturday, a trailer fell and was burnt here.
“A lot of people lost their properties around here as a result of that. So today, I have come to see for myself what actually happened. The road is terribly bad.
“I think the best way to go is the way we are going now; to fix this road by ourselves and later revert to the Federal Government for reimbursement. What we are doing is to keep this place safe for our people to ply. The contractor is working despite today being Sunday,” Okpebholo said.
The governor’s Special Adviser on Project Implementation and Monitoring, Williams Bello, said that the 10.15-kilometre section was recently handed over to the Edo State Government by the Federal Ministry of Works when the Minister of Works visited the state.
“You can see that our governor is being proactive. The contractor, who was already handling 23.2 kilometres of the project, is now extending work to this newly conceded section. In the middle of the road, they are already excavating for the drains.
“This area has unsuitable materials that cannot absorb water. So, a major drainage channel, about 7.5 metres wide, is being constructed to carry stormwater towards the bypass where there will be a discharge point.
“Since we are now in the dry season, the contractor will be able to build up the road profile and lay the stone base,” Bello said.
General Manager of CBC Global Construction Company, who gave his name as Liao, said the firm had made significant progress on the ongoing 23.2-kilometre reconstruction work.
“For now, we have achieved almost 8 kilometres of stone base and 5 kilometres of Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP). After this bypass, we have about 7 kilometres on the right-hand side to complete.
“The major challenge before now was rainfall. But now that the rains have stopped, we are working on excavating the drainage in between to channel water out. Once that is done, everything will be much easier. I can assure you, and I believe this project could be completed before the next rainy season,” Liao explained.
Since assuming office, the governor has embarked on major road rehabilitation and reconstruction projects.
Apart from the intervention on Benin–Sapele Road, the state government has also done work on the federal road in Edo Central, while the Akoko Edo road in Edo North is also receiving attention.
The first bridge in the state is also nearing completion, while the construction of another bridge has also begun at Adesua Junction on Benin–Sapele Road.
These interventions reflect Okpebholo’s commitment to improving infrastructure and easing movement across the state.
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