Edo blames Obaseki’s shoddy projects for road decay

Former Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki.

The Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, has blamed the poor state of roads across the state on shoddy construction works carried out by the immediate past administration of former Governor Godwin Obaseki.

Afegbua said evidence from an assessment of some roads constructed or rehabilitated under the Obaseki administration showed that several had developed potholes and were already deteriorating.

The commissioner, who spoke during the ministry’s monthly media briefing, urged residents to be patient with the Governor Monday Okpebholo-led administration, saying massive road repairs would be carried out during the dry season.

He said the government was wary of commencing major road repairs during the rainy season, as such efforts could result in the wastage of construction materials and public funds.

Afegbua said, “Of critical reference is the issue of roads. If we had an opportunity like the previous government to do credible, quality and durable roads, we would not be complaining or lamenting now.

“A lot of these roads within the Benin metropolis were actually rehabilitated and repaired during the immediate past government.”

He accused the immediate past administration of executing poor-quality road projects, which he said had contributed to the deterioration of road infrastructure across Edo State.

Afegbua also criticised supporters of Obaseki for attacking the present administration over the condition of the roads, saying the level of decay suggested that the projects executed by the previous government were not durable.

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He said, “The level of road decay experienced now is that the roads then were quantity, not quality jobs. We did an assessment of the GRA, Iyekogba Estate, Irihrih and Okoroma roads, and the roads were purported to have been done by the Obaseki-led administration.

“If you go there now, the roads are full of potholes and decaying. One begins to wonder what the celebration was about? Roads were supposed to spend a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 30 years.

“I am making records of these roads because we are being criticised on social media and they wonder what we are doing.”

The commissioner said the Okpebholo administration was determined to reverse the trend and make roads across the state motorable.

“No construction engineer will attempt to fix potholes and bad roads during the rainy season. We are experiencing heavy rain now,” he added.