Okpebholo assures Edo motorists of renewed push as rains stall road projects

From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin

Edo State Government has blamed persistent rainfall for the slow pace of work on major road projects across the state, assuring residents and motorists that construction and rehabilitation would be intensified once weather conditions improve.

The government said all major entry and exit routes into Edo State had been awarded for rehabilitation, reconstruction or other forms of intervention, but that contractors had been unable to sustain work on some of the projects because of the prolonged rains.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, gave the assurance in a statement in Benin, acknowledging the difficulties motorists were facing on some major roads.

Afegbua specifically cited the Benin-Ore Road, where rehabilitation work has slowed due to heavy rainfall. “The repair works cannot progress in the rain.”

He said the Benin-Agbor Road was also undergoing major reconstruction under a concession arrangement, with plans to transform the route into a 10-lane highway.

According to him, work has commenced on the project, but persistent rainfall has affected the pace of construction.

The Benin-Warri Road, he added, was facing a similar challenge, with adverse weather conditions slowing construction activities.

The commissioner appealed to motorists and residents to exercise patience, assuring them that the government would intensify work on the affected roads as soon as the rains ease.

He said the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo remained committed to its road infrastructure agenda, despite the temporary setbacks caused by the weather.

Afegbua said the government had prioritised road infrastructure from the beginning of the administration, recalling that the abandoned Benin-Irrua Road received immediate attention and was restored to public use through remediation works within two months of Okpebholo assuming office.

He added that the administration had also invested in other critical link roads across the state, while the flyover at the Ramat Park end of the Benin-Agbor Road remained one of its major infrastructure projects.

The commissioner acknowledged the hardship motorists were experiencing on the affected routes, saying the government was not indifferent to their plight. “We share in the pains of our people and are deeply concerned by the reality of the present state of our roads.”

Afegbua explained that road construction depended heavily on favourable weather conditions, making prolonged rainfall a major impediment to certain construction activities.

He, however, assured residents that the government would resume full-scale intervention on the affected routes when weather conditions became favourable. “The commitment of the Okpebholo administration to rebuilding critical infrastructure across Edo State remains unchanged.”

He urged residents and visitors to bear with the government as it works to overcome the weather-related constraints and deliver improved road networks across the state.