| Oshiomhole’s first-year
scorecard
‘We’re rebuilding Edo from scratch’
By TOPE ADEBOBOYE
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
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Adams
Oshiomhole
Photo: THE SUN PUBLISHING
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In Benin, the Edo State capital, today, November 11, is of
immense significance. It was on this day last year that popular
labour leader, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, was declared the
rightful winner of the April 2007 governorship election in
the state after a protracted legal battle. He was sworn in
the following day.
As soon as Oshiomhole mounted the saddle, expectations soared
to the skies. In truth, millions of people within and beyond
Nigeria’s shores had literally placed their hopes on
the sturdy shoulders of the fire-spitting former President
of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Within a few months,
many had thought, each little ill confronting Benin, Auchi,
Ekpoma and, indeed, every community in Edo State would have
been totally healed of many ailments by the Comrade-Governor.
Of recent, tongues have wagged that Oshiomhole has been talking
more than he’s been toiling for his people in the past
year. Some are insisting that the governor should have recorded
more success in the areas of infrastructural development,
health, education and other sectors in the state since he
assumed office.
So, how has the activist fared in the Government House
in the last 365 days?
“We give glory to God that he has really helped us in
the last one year,” Prince Clem Agba, the state commissioner
for Environment and Public Utilities, recently told journalists.
“What we met on ground was nothing to write home about.
What we’ve been trying to do is fix things that have
been damaged in the last 20 years. Comrade Oshiomhole is rebuilding
Edo from the scratch. Since the exit of Samuel Ogbemudia,
things have remained at a standstill in Benin and other parts
of the state. That is why the governor has been working so
hard in the last one year trying to fix so many problems at
the same time.”
His colleague in the Ministry of Works, Engineer Obayagbonna
Erhauyi, concurred. “We discovered that many things
were not properly done by the past administrations and there
was no planning at all. For instance, the last administration
built some roads but had no plans for drainages. Flooding
became the order of the day and in no time, all the roads
in Benin and other parts of the state were thoroughly spoilt.
We’ve been working hard to fix the problems and we are
gradually restoring Benin back to its old, glorious days.”
“We didn’t get the budget approved until April,”
Agba interjected. “Yet, we’ve been able to do
31 roads in eight months, and these are verifiable facts.
The local press here and the Edo people know that we’ve
been doing a lot of things. But nationally, maybe majority
of the Nigerian people haven’t been well informed of
our efforts. These are verifiable facts. And I will encourage
you to also talk to the people in the streets of Benin to
find out how we’ve fared as a government in the past
one year.”
According to the commissioner, the entire sectors were in
utter chaos when the new administration came in last year.
“What we met was weak environmental regulations, unplanned
and uncoordinated infrastructural development, uncoordinated
road and drain development, absence of a master-plan for road
and storm water, extreme city-wide flooding and so on.”
He explained further that the few available drains in the
state, having been left without adequate maintenance for more
than 10 years, had been blocked with silt and refuse. Wastes,
he disclosed, were indiscriminately disposed everywhere even
by government agencies. There was also a total absence of
a development strategy in education, health and in other sectors,
he said.
His words: “The streets were chaotic and there was indiscriminate
street trading, there were illegal motor parks everywhere
and the Benin master-plan was distorted. Our forest reserves
were being illegally exploited and de-reserved. The challenges
that we met on ground were daunting. But, guided by God and
our total commitment to the development of the state and our
people, we’ve been able to chart a fresh course for
the state. And we are succeeding.”
According to him, the government went to work right from the
start, taking on some of the past problems head-on. A battle
that was quickly fought and won was the Costain battle. In
Agba’s words, in the last 20 years, the place had become
an unsightly mountain of refuse patronized even by government
agencies. Located in a residential area, the dumpsite had
been sitting illegally on that spot for years, causing untold
health hazard to residents. “Led by the Comrade-governor,
we solved the problem in six days by evacuating the site,”
Agba informed. “The former dumpsite now wears a great
look and the residents are very happy and grateful. If you
go there now, you will never believe it was a former dumpsite.”
Apart from the Costain site, two government-approved dumpsites
at Ighueniro and Uguomo which had become an embarrassment
to the state were also cleared, he informed.
“The major problem in the state capital which everyone
is conversant with is the problem of flooding,” Engr.
Erhauyi noted. “That is a problem the governor has also
addressed. Before the governor’s intervention, the rainy
season used to be dreaded in Benin. But now, the people have
no fear even if it rains for weeks because we have the drains
to take the water.”
It wasn’t that there were no outlets for flood water
in the Edo State capital. According to Prince Agba, different
types of drains that had existed in Benin for long have become
practically useless as they had been blocked by silt and solid
wastes. He informed that the Oshiomhole administration has
since removed silt and other wastes from the different drains.
Several underground conduit drains have also been desilted,
he said. They include Aruosa/Ogbelaka with spur underground
from Igbesanmwan Street, West Circular Road (Opposite BHS)
Oghene-Osa/Part of Oba Market Road, Lower Lawani Street/Evbiemwen/Obakhavbaye
Street, New Lagos Road (By Eghosa Grammar School)/Upper Lawani
Street, Maria Ghoretti, Sakponba Road, and Joromi/Ora Crescent/Aerodrome.
Underground conduit, side drains and associated moat at Uselu
5- Junction also had their silt evacuated, he informed.
About 100 kilometres of side drains that had been abandoned
were also de-silted and put to use. Places such as New Lagos
Road, Upper Mission Road, Ewah Road, Obakhavbaye/ Evbiemwen
Streets, Upper Sakponba Road, Erediawa Street, Uselu-New Lagos
Road, Air Force Base/Edebiri Junction along Airport Road and
others had their side drains desilted.
But the government is even doing more, the commissioner insists.
Already, in several parts of the state capital, drainages
are being constructed where none had hitherto existed just
as walkways are being built for pedestrians.
On the issue of roads, Agba says the governor has done a yeoman’s
job. 31 roads have been rehabilitated just as some new roads
were constructed afresh. Among them are Akenzua Road, Dawson
Road, Wire Road, Aideyan Street, Ben Oni Street, Obakhabhaye/Oba
Market Junction Road, College Road, Agadagudu Street, Boundary
Road, Uwa Street (by 2nd East Circular Road), Universal-Oghobaghase
Street, Giwa Amu Road, Jemide Street, Akhionbare Street, Ihama
Road and Okhoro Road, and Upper Sakponba Road (by Welfare
and Uiwaibi Junctions).
“In the past, the areas around the Uselu-5 Junction
were particularly bad,” he noted. “Whenever it
rained, you might need canoes to navigate the road. Now, all
that is over. Even when it rains, driving or commuting on
the road is not a problem.”
The government, the commissioner informed, has also employed
more than 1,600 graduates under the state Youth Employment
Scheme (YES). Hundreds of non-graduates have equally been
employed.
Prince Agba also gave a thumbs-up for Oshiomhole for striving
hard to turn Benin into an aesthetically appealing city, saying
the governor has since embarked on the beautification of Benin
Metropolis. Areas such as Kings Square, Sakponba Road, Oba
Market Road, Sapele Road and Akpakpava Road are now wearing
a more refreshing look, he asserted.
“The governor has touched several other areas, in spite
of the antics of opposition politicians in the state. We have
just started and we are marching on. Before I leave office,
Edo State will be a place to be proud of. We are restoring
Benin to its former glory and with God on our side, we shall
succeed. Governor Oshiomhole is rebuilding the state from
the scratch. If the governor has been able to do all this
in just eight months, you can only imagine what would have
been achieved in the next three years.”
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