Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has commenced the rehabilitation of damaged roads within the Government Reservation Area (GRA) and other parts of Benin City, following growing complaints from residents over deteriorating road conditions during the rainy season.
The rehabilitation exercise, being carried out by the Edo State Road Maintenance Agency, has seen repairs completed on some affected sections, while work continues on other major routes across the state capital.
The intervention follows widespread public concerns over potholes and damaged roads, with several videos of affected locations circulating on social media.
Speaking after inspecting some of the ongoing projects, Mr. John Mayaki, Director of Media of the Edo State APC Presidential, National Assembly and State House of Assembly Campaign Council, said the exercise reflected the governor’s commitment to addressing residents’ concerns as the rains gradually subside.
Mayaki acknowledged the difficulties motorists and other road users had experienced but urged those who previously shared videos of damaged roads to return to the locations and document the ongoing improvements.
“Those who picked up their cameras to show the public the bad portions of our roads should also return to those same locations and show the improvements where repairs have been completed.
“If we can use our cameras to expose problems, we should also be willing to use those same cameras to document solutions. That is not too much to ask,” he said.
Osadebey Avenue repaired as work progresses on other routes
Providing details of the inspection, Mayaki said repairs had been completed on the damaged section in front of the Chief Judge’s residence along Osadebey Avenue.
He added that another badly affected portion near St. Mary Dedication School, along the route leading to Government House, had also received attention.
According to him, rehabilitation work was ongoing along Federal Avenue, around the residence of the late Captain Hosa Okunbo, and extending towards the damaged section in front of 360 Grills at the Boundary Road junction.
At Ihama Road, near the Royal Marble junction, the inspection team met officials and workers of the Road Maintenance Agency carrying out repairs.
Mayaki said the agency’s Director of Projects, who was present at the site, briefed the team on the progress of the ongoing rehabilitation work.
“We went round the city and personally visited some of the affected locations. We saw where repairs had been completed and where workers and equipment were still on the ground.
“These are verifiable locations. Residents and journalists can visit them and see the work for themselves,” he said.
Agency intensifies road maintenance
Mayaki disclosed that the Road Maintenance Agency was working day and night to address damaged road sections across Benin City and other parts of Edo State, with the aim of progressively reducing potholes and improving driving conditions.
He, however, appealed to residents to exercise patience, explaining that the agency could not undertake rehabilitation work on every affected street simultaneously because personnel, equipment and other resources had to be deployed in line with its work programme.
“We recognise the inconvenience these damaged roads have caused motorists, business owners and residents. Their complaints are legitimate, and the government has a responsibility to respond.
“But road maintenance is a gradual process. The fact that rehabilitation has not commenced on a particular street does not mean that the government is unaware of its condition or has abandoned the residents,” he said.
The campaign council’s media director recalled that Governor Okpebholo had repeatedly assured residents that road rehabilitation would receive greater attention after the rainy season, describing the commencement of the current repairs as consistent with that commitment.
Mayaki urges constructive criticism
Mayaki also called on opposition figures and other critics of the administration to adopt what he described as a fair and balanced approach in assessing the government’s performance by acknowledging improvements while continuing to highlight areas requiring attention.
He stressed that the appeal was not an attempt to discourage public criticism, insisting that residents had every right to demand improved infrastructure and hold the government accountable.
“Nobody is asking citizens to stop complaining about bad roads. Citizens have every right to demand good roads and hold their government accountable.
“But when the government responds, let us also acknowledge the response. Development requires constructive criticism, accurate reporting and public accountability, irrespective of political affiliation,” he said.
Mayaki thanked Edo residents for their patience, cooperation and understanding, assuring them that the Okpebholo administration remained committed to improving road infrastructure and making roads across the state more accessible to motorists and other users.
