Obaseki: I’ll Rebuild More Local Roads, Open More Areas

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has promised to construct more interconnecting roads across the state to connect communities and open up more areas for economic activities and development.

The governor, who spoke while addressing stakeholders in Edo Central Senatorial District, decried the poor state of federal roads across the state, and reassured the people that his government would, after the rainy season, focus on the construction of more local roads to ameliorate the sufferings of the people, commuters and other residents in the State.

“Anytime I want to come to Edo Central, I try to go through the roads that are very bad to see and feel what you are going through. I want to assure you that our biggest challenge as a state is our road infrastructure which is being challenged as we will not keep quiet for what is a blessing which has now turned into a curse.

“Edo is blessed because of its long stretch of interconnection of federal roads and I don’t think that there is any state in the country that has interconnected federal roads like Edo State. What we are seeing in the roads in Edo State today is an indication of what is happening with our federal government.

“It’s telling on us and shows that the federal government doesn’t seem to have the capacity to repair, maintain, and manage its own roads. So, our choice is to go back to our own local roads, create new ones, and see how to connect our state since they say they will not allow us to touch their roads.
“I appeal to you to be patient with us. It’s a matter of time. The dry season will be here soon and we will mobilise contractors to site, look for the money, and begin to construct our interconnecting roads in the state.

“We believe that what we are seeing is a signal to us that since the federal government has failed to repair Ekpoma, Irrua, Auchi, Benin roads, we must look for the roads we used to use before 1967 and 1973 and begin to rebuild those roads to connect our villages and communities.”