Since the enthronement of All Progressives Congress government in Edo State in 2008, the state has progressively witnessed steady growth and development. All through the eight years of rule of the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole administration in the state, there has been preponderance of infrastructural development across the three Senatorial districts of the state.
Edo people are living witnesses to the fact that previous administrations, both military and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took Edo people so much for granted. The military cum PDP leaders watched the state’s major infrastructures: roads, electricity, water supply and social services go down to apologetic levels. Roads, apart from being heavily dilapidated served as death traps as potholes fueled carnage on most of our intra and inter-city highways.
Water supply for people of Edo North and Central was a mirage and rain harvesting remained the major source for residents. The stench in the streets of Benin City and most urban centres as a result of unattended massive heaps of refuse left visitors wondering how resilient Edo people are that epidemics have not wiped them off the face of the earth.

What about social services- Health and Education? Public primary and secondary schools were left to rot away as Edo children in most parts were learning either under trees or leaking roofs, such that whenever it rained, primary and secondary school pupils cringed in waterlogged classrooms. Hospitals in Edo were in very sorry conditions worse than what General SaniAbacha who announced the coup against the civilian administration of AlhajiShehuShagari called “mere consultancy clinics.” Maternal and child mortality rates in Edo were only comparable to nations at war-Bosnia, Herzegovina, or famine ravaged South Sudan.
This was what the All Progressive Congress government inherited from previous rulers of Edo. But many thanks to the political leadership provided by the duo of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Mr Godwin NogheghaseObasekithat has transformed Benin from an abandoned ancient city to a modern city of the 21st century with the full complements of road networks adorned with street lights, walk ways and drainage, beautiful city centre with state of the art facilities and improved traffic monitoring systems that works. Night life has bounced back fully in Benin as both the young and old now have good time anytime they chose to do so.

The urban renewal project which cuts across the three senatorial districts with much focus on Benin City, Auchi, Ekpoma, Uromi and Abudu and impressive impact in all the 18 Local Government Areas of the State show massive modern road networks with all the latest walkways , street lights, and flower lawns. Massive drainage projects have greatly helped to control flood and erosion menace that was almost going to submerge the cities of Benin and Auchi. The environmental sanitation projects of the Oshiomhole andObasekiadministrations have s helped in cleaning the streets of Benin. The Five Junction in Benin, which used to be flooded and den of robbers is now a beautiful sight to behold. It is now a modern ring road; well asphalted with massive underground drainage, walk ways and street lights. Almost ten roads in the neighbourhood have been reconstructed to add to the beauty of the area. The Isonoro axis of New Benin which hitherto was a refuse dump site both by residents and previous governments is now a modern layout with all the pecks of modern city now re-named GaniFawehinmi Layout to immortalise Late Chief GaniFawehinmi.
The Obaseki administration has given greater facelift to major roads in Benin City, Auchi, Ekpoma, Igarra and other towns across the three senatorial districts of the state.The GRA in Benin and all the roads around the Oba palace are wearing new looksIn less than one and a half years. Governor Obaseki has constructed over 200 roads across the three senatorial districts of the state. One has actually lost count of the number of roads reconstructed and rehabilitated by the Obaseki administration.

One of the greatest achievements of the APC-led administration in the educational sector is “the red roof revolution” Besides the massive reconstruction and renovation of public primary and secondary schools across the state, they have been equipped with modern instructional and learning equipment and materials. The educational system is being sanitised in a way that it would compare to international best practice. The list is endless.

The leadership currently being provided by Mr Godwin Obaseki is un-parallel. He is building on the solid foundation inherited from Oshiomhole administration in even greater strides. He is creating the right environment for investments and has attracted no fewer than 100 foreign and local investors to the state creating jobs every single day.
Well meaning citizens have continued to appreciate the spate of well coordinated infrastructural development in the state. But sadly, some enemies of the state who certainly do not love all these development efforts have chosen to constitute themselves into destructive agents in the state. They go about destroying these lofty projects put in place by both past and present APC administrations. It is certainly not out of place to suspect the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP that is so desperate to return to power after their ruination of the state for over 10 years.
Recently, the Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, decried the defacement and destruction of the state government’s infrastructural projects across the state and consequently ordered the immediate removal of substandard and unauthorised road furniture and similar projects, on roads and other projects across the state.
It is an act of wickedness for anyone or group of persons to destroy roads, vandalise drainage system with impunity and without government approval and erect substandard electricity poles that are either abandoned mid-way or lack sustainable maintenance plan which usually pose safety risk to law abiding citizens of the state.
Going round the state, one would find thatit is littered with substandard projects that disrupt the infrastructure master plan and violate laid down rules for such projects.

Equally bad as noted by the governor is the chaotic and indiscriminate execution of substandard and unapproved projects, which are not known to state government development agencies.
Everywhere in the world, anyone who wishes to execute any project in any part of the state ought to seek approval from the relevant government agencies. But this is being observed more in a breach than obedience in Edo and methinks this has to stop to pave way for approved projects across the state which will not block natural flow of water and respect all known environmental laws and development master plans.
Destruction of road projects, destruction of constructed public primary and secondary schools have continued to be a daily occurrence, which must be stopped. Communities where government projects are sited must as a matter of priority take charge of the protection; maintenance and sustainability of such projects as government alone cannot do all for citizens.
The revered Benin Monarch, OmoN’ObaN’EdoUkuAkpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare 11 has continued to provide the right traditional leadership to curtail youth restiveness, human trafficking, brigandage and other social vices in the state. We must all join hands with the Oba, security agencies and the State Government to ensure that ill-mannered persons do not continue to deface, damage and destroy the developmental efforts of government in the state.

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Mr. Dan Oegie is a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Edo State.