Edo commissioner commends Okpebholo on infrastructure

Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, on Wednesday, said Governor Monday Okpebholo had given governance a new definition in the state with the spate of infrastructural development in the last 18 months. 

Afegbua added that if Governor Okpebholo sustained the strides, by the end of his first term, the governor would have reduced the infrastructure deficit in the state drastically, such that whatever his predecessor achieved in eight years would have paled into insignificance.

Speaking at a press conference in Benin, Afegbua said the Okpebholo-led administration had employed about 6,500 teachers with a plan to recruit more to ensure that every sector of the state’s education received the deserved attention.

He added that the governor’s approach to governance had shown that no rocket science was required to change the face of the state, positively, assuring that a lot of goodies were in the offing for the betterment of the standard of living. 

According to him, “Only recently, the governor made a grant of N2 billion to the Edo State University, Iyamho, to improve its infrastructure and also raised its monthly subvention from N100 million to N250 million, besides promising to donate buses to the institution.”

Afegbua, who said that the Okpebholo administration inherited schools without roofs and chairs from the previous administration, announced that the situation had changed for the better with nearly 80 schools rehabilitated across the state. 

In the health sector, the commissioner said the State had built and equipped 75 Primary Health Centres with a target of increasing the number to 160 at the end of the first four years of the administration. 

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Besides, Afegbua disclosed that work had commenced on the Stella Obasanjo Hospital, which the Okpebholo administration inherited at 75 percent completion, adding that the government was ensuring that the State Specialist Hospital “caters to the needs of the people of the state.”

He further disclosed that the state government recently awarded contracts for the construction of 17 roads across the state, saying, “Very soon the government will be commissioning the Ramat Park Flyover”.

Afegbua also announced that construction work had commenced on the Adesuwa Junction Flyover, Ekenhuan-Gelegele Road, and other critical infrastructure, including the Temboga Road, which he said was nearing completion. 

This was just as he added that the administration had completed several roads in three senatorial districts, while others were under construction. 

He further disclosed that the government recently handed over road construction equipment to the 18 local government areas of the state to help open up the rural areas and also took steps to set up a Rapid Response Agency for road maintenance in the state, adding that equipment had been provided for the agency, which has since commenced work. 

The commissioner also appealed to Edo residents to pay their taxes promptly to avail the government necessary resources to provide social amenities.