BY RICHARD EWEKA
BENIN CITY — The Edo State Government has declared that Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration has “taken the Edo vehicle out of the mechanical workshop and is now test-driving it,” after months of fixing the rot inherited from the previous government.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy stated this at an interactive session with newsmen in Benin City.
He commended journalists for their support and described them as partners in progress.
He announced that the government would mark its first anniversary in office on November 12 with a week-long commissioning of projects across the three senatorial districts.
According to him, projects in health, education, agriculture and road infrastructure will be inaugurated between November 7 and 11 as part of activities to mark the anniversary.
“The present administration came on board on November 12, 2024. To cut costs, we will celebrate by commissioning projects in all senatorial districts, in healthcare, education, road reconstruction and agriculture,” he said.
The commissioner said the Okpebholo administration had focused on restoring transparency, rebuilding collapsed systems and fixing critical infrastructure.
“Edo was an accidented vehicle, and Governor Okpebholo, the real panel-beater, has been fixing it piece by piece. The vehicle is now back on the road,” he added.
He said the government had embarked on a massive infrastructure renewal drive, including the reconstruction of major roads and construction of two new flyovers at Ramat Park and Dawson Street in Benin City.
He noted that the Minister of Works, Dr. David Umahi, had visited Edo State several times to inspect and support the rehabilitation of federal roads such as the Benin-Auchi Highway and Sapele Road.
On education, he said the government uncovered large-scale mismanagement under the previous administration’s EdoBest programme, alleging that over ₦160 million was paid monthly to consultants for questionable services.
“We found schools without windows, teachers or furniture. The so-called EdoBest was a conduit pipe. Governor Okpebholo has since rebuilt over 60 schools, including the Army Day Secondary School, which was transformed in eight weeks,” he said.
He stated that 5,000 new teachers and 500 civil servants had been employed to revive the public service, while several redundant agencies were under review.
He accused the past government of abandoning the civil service and relying heavily on consultants, thereby weakening the system.
In the health sector, the commissioner said the government had rehabilitated over 60 primary healthcare centres and was recovering key hospitals, including the Stella Obasanjo Hospital and the Central Hospital land previously ceded to the Museum of West African Arts.
He said Governor Okpebholo insisted that healthcare must take precedence over any museum project, adding that discussions were ongoing to redefine the state’s interest in MOWAA to protect public assets.
The commissioner also disclosed that the government had provided over 60 Hilux patrol vehicles and 400 motorcycles to security agencies, and recruited 2,500 men into the Edo Security Corps trained by the military.
He said an additional 100 policemen had been deployed to Okpella to boost security, while the anti-cultism and anti-kidnapping law prescribing death penalty for offenders is now being enforced.
“Our interventions are working, and we have reduced crime significantly across the state,” he said.
In agriculture, he said the government had launched a 400-acre maize farm as a pilot project, with plans to store the yield in silos for local use.
He described critics of the initiative as “the same people who supervised the failure of the Sobe farms.”
The commissioner accused the previous administration of leaving behind incomplete and over-bloated projects, including the Radisson Hotel, Iyaro Education Hub and the Stella Obasanjo Hospital.
“The Stella Obasanjo Hospital was commissioned without power, water or doctors’ facilities, yet the contractor was owed ₦7.3 billion. We have given a matching order for its completion because Edo people deserve value for money,” he said.
He commended Governor Okpebholo for insisting on due process and transparency in governance, noting that all contracts now comply with procurement laws.
He said the State Executive Council was now fully constituted with 28 commissioners and new ministries created to align with federal structures for efficient governance.
The commissioner appealed to journalists to continue supporting the administration’s development drive and to report facts objectively.
“You have been part of governance in Edo. We appreciate your support and ask for continued solidarity. The media, as the fourth estate of the realm, must report facts, not fiction,” he said.
He added that although one year might not be enough to solve all challenges, Governor Okpebholo had shown the political will to rebuild Edo and restore confidence in governance.
“We are fixing Edo step by step, and today, the vehicle that was once accidented is back on the road,” he said.
