EDO STATE –is a state with a total Land Mass of 19,794 square with a population of approximately 3.5 million people.
It is among the top 5 states in Nigeria measured by GDP it was selected as the second state only after Lagos in Africa to benefit from the World bank Budget Support Program; Climate is typical tropical with two major seasons- the wet (Rainy ) and the dry (Haramattan)  seasons.
Major hub in Nigeria’s inter-regional connectivity network linking the Northern, South-South, Western and Eastern region, larger deposits of onshore hydrocarbons and solid minerals.
The 4 major vegetations in Nigeria are present in the state with Sahel and Savannah Northwards and Swamp and Rainforest in the South.
About 70% of land mass cultivable for agriculture; High yield in agricultural products including cassava, oil palm, rubber, rice and fruits.
The continually worsening atmosphere of uncertainty, instability and at times total chaos in Nigeria, calls for a review of our past, a look at the present and suggestions for the future. The Edo people lost their independence in 1897 when the British troops led by Major Dawson took Benin City after several days of heavy artillery bombardment. The marauding British troops ransacked the palace, stole several  artworks- the most prominent is the bronze work of Queen Idia. The British demolished and dismantled the Edo Common Wealth and empire. From then the Edo people became subject of foreign Monarch. The British  wasted  not time in splitting the Edo people into semi autonomous units. Their fear was the unity of the Edo as they remained a threat to their West African branch of the British  empire. The Edos were the Nation in Nigeria that had an empire that spreads along the West African Coast for about one thousand miles.
Our identities, histories, language, religion, culture and state of development were relegate, we had to learn the ways of life of the British. Since 1897, we have been part of the Niger River protectorate than as part of the protectorate of Southern Nigeria and then as part of Southern provinces.
In 1914 for the convenience and benefit of the British Colonialists, Edo people were conscripted without consultation into an amalgamated Nigeria. By this fell act, we were now grouped with 200 other Nationalities whose ways of life, religions and culture were  quite different from ours. Among these are the Hausas.
Fulani-Nupe caliphate  whose incursion into Edo Nation was just stopped at Ishan borders after they had overrun Auchi and Agbede. The socio-political implications of this event are many. Our society is based on religious tolerance, whereas the Northerners are Islamic  fanatics bent on spreading the message of Islam if necessary by force and intent on conquering the South so as to enable them “dip the Koran into the Atlantic Ocean.” Our language became suppressed, public life and commerce were conducted in elitist English thereby alienating majority of our people. This is how we found ourselves in Nigeria and became part of Western Nigeria and later Mid-Western Nigeria to Bendel State and now Edo State.
The founding fathers of Nigeria adopted a federal system of Government with regions, fully in charge of her resources.
Things were running fairly well until the military came into the scene and then muddled the water. The soldiers opted for a unitary government inspite of the country being refered to as a Federal   Republic. All resources were centralized and of course the army being dominated by Northerners. Inspite of the fact that the North hardly contributed anything to the common purse. They controlled disbursement of the federal fund.
We are all aware  of the gross abuse and gross financial mismanagement and unbridled looting that took place. These have  nauseated terribly the nervous stomach of the people of the Niger-Delta who have resorted to violence to stop further exploitation and abuse of funds they see coming solely from their area and squandered by people whose economic insecurity seems to give them insatiable appetite for money.
Every other nationality could not but watch the wholesale plunder of the common National Funds.
In the 103 years since we lost our independence, we have been allowed to govern ourselves for only fifteen years by an Edo person. ( One year with Governor. Innih, eight years by Governor Ogbemudia, four years by Alli and two years by Governor. Oyegun). Nearly all the economic gains, educational progress, Industrialization and social-cultural gains were made during the reign of Edo sons. It will be of importance to note that after the reign of Governor Oyegun, Governor Igbinedion was elected as Governor of Edo State. His impact was certainly better than that of his immediate predecessors,  though highly criticized.
The impact of successive reigns of  foreign military governors had been to erode and in most cases wipe out all the gains made during the Western, Mid-western and Bendel regions and especially during Governor Ogbemudia’s glorious years and that of Governor Alli. The ruling Military Cabals turned our state into a territory of improvised, unhealthy, illiterate and beleaguered peoples. Unemployment became rampant, street violence became the order of the day. Our girls had to take to international prostitution to survive. Young men had to flee to other lands to earn a living doing the Most Menial and sometimes illegal things to make ends meet.  What  is the future of a   community if all her youth emigrate. With schools dilapidate and no industries to employ the youths and the old industries closed down because of centralized government and control of non-Edos. This has left the community disillusioned and angry.
In all these times, it has become apparent that our best times have been when an Edo person was in charge of Edo affairs. We are best custodians of affairs.
Currently Edo is in the ruling hand of Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole who is in his second tenure as the Governor of Edo State on the platform of the APC. His first term has won following his court appeal to  the results of a massively rigged April 2007 election in which the candidate of the ruling People’s Democratic Party Oserhemien Osunbor has initially been declared the winner. He assumed Office on 12 November 2008 after winning the appeal. Since his assumption to the office of the state governor his administration has recorded enormous success. Governor Adams Oshiomhole has inaugurate some road Projects in Benin Metropolis embarked upon by his administration. His administration is the first to construct roads with walkways in the history of the state. The first point of call was an airport Ogba road which is part of the Benin Storm Water project as it has 1.5 kilometers underground drains linking it to Ogba river. Many other roads were inaugurated – Ogiesoba avenue, Aswah road popularly known as the vegetable market road where he said he will provide street lights while the road will be named after APC Leader Tom Ikimi.
He has also done remarkably in the Education sector. Governor Oshiomhole had redefine the educational system in the state. In short Governor Adams Oshiomhole has transformer all the sectors in Edo State. He has returned the lost glory of Edo State  in all aspects of human   endeavour.
The Governor deserves encouragement and prayers from all well meaning people. We believe that these will ensure our peoples progress, to take us to the next level.
Whereas the generations before us fought and died to give Edo people a respectable name in the world they lived in, it is now left to this generation to take us out of the over 100 years of loss of independence and reinstate Edo Pride. This our Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has started and we hope he will finish it.