Residents of Edo State are calling on Governor Monday Okpebholo to focus attention and funds on dilapidated state-owned roads rather than investing in the repair of federal highways within the state.
They expressed frustration that many state thoroughfares, especially in the Government Reservation Area (GRA) are no longer motorable. Affected commuters say their vehicles suffer frequent damage, and the financial burden is mounting.
One commercial driver, Joseph Ikpigho, who drives the route between Ring Road and Ebvuotubu, said the ongoing road issues have made maintenance costs for vehicles skyrocket.
“Ebvuotubu road needs to be completed. The past administration started the repair; the present should finish the job,” he told our correspondent.
Another community leader, Kola Edokpaiyi, head of Talakawas, criticised Governor Okpebholo for prioritising federal road projects over urgent state roads.
According to him, the state should not be channeling scarce resources to federal roads while many internal roads crumble.
From the government side, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Paul Ohonbamu, defended the interventions on federal roads, saying they are necessary for public safety, citing increased risks of kidnappings and armed robberies.
He assured that repairs on state roads will begin in earnest after the rainy season, under a comprehensive plan.
Meanwhile, Governor Okpebholo has embarked on a major federal-state collaborative project, reconstructing 23 kilometres of the Sapele road axis of the East–West road.
The federal government last week handed over the completion of the Ewu–Agbor dual carriageway’s first carriageway to the Edo State Government, with federal oversight of design and state management of execution.
