BENIN CITY — Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has directed contractors handling road construction projects across the State to work round the clock in order to beat the approaching peak of the rainy season and prevent delays to ongoing projects.
The governor gave the directive on Thursday during an inspection tour of key road projects in the state, including Mechanic Road in Egor and Catholic Charismatic Renewal Road in Ugbiyoko.
He was accompanied on the tour by the Special Adviser on Project Monitoring, Engr. Phoebe Williams-Bello.
Okpebholo said the state government would intensify supervision of construction sites across the state to ensure that contractors accelerate work and meet the stipulated completion timelines before heavy rainfall begins to affect construction activities.
According to him, with the rainy season already setting in, it has become necessary for contractors to increase the pace of work in order to avoid disruptions that could slow down the projects.
“Although the rainy season is already here, our goal is to achieve significant progress on these road projects before the heavy rains begin,” the governor said.
“Take the Mechanic Road, for instance. You can see the level of work ongoing there. We must move quickly; otherwise, residents may find it difficult to access their homes and businesses.
“The same urgency applies to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Road in Ugbiyoko. That is why I am urging contractors to work round the clock so we can complete a substantial portion of the work before the peak of the rainy season.”
The governor added that road construction remains a top priority of his administration and assured residents that he would continue to personally inspect project sites across Edo State to ensure contractors adhere strictly to agreed timelines.
During the visit, residents of Mechanic Road in Egor and Catholic Charismatic Renewal Road in Ugbiyoko came out in large numbers to welcome the governor and members of his entourage, expressing appreciation for what they described as long-awaited government intervention.
A resident of Mechanic Road, Mr. Nosa Christopher, commended the governor for addressing what he described as more than two decades of neglect of the road.
“We appreciate the governor for keeping his promises. This road has been in terrible condition and practically impassable for nearly 20 years, as previous administrations abandoned it. Governor Okpebholo has finally come to our rescue,” he said.
Another resident and landlord in the area, Mr. Julius Adedoja, who hails from Osun State, disclosed that he had previously considered selling his property because of the poor condition of the road.
“I was already thinking of selling my house because living here had become extremely difficult. But now, with the road construction, life has returned to the area. People are moving in again, so I have abandoned that plan,” he said.
Other residents, including Mrs. Blessing Ihaze, Helen Okunbor and David Endurance, also commended the governor for embarking on the project, noting that successive administrations had neglected the road for years.
They pledged their continued support for the administration in recognition of what they described as a renewed commitment to delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Edo State.
