By Eben Enasco Kingsley, Benin City
The spate of ongoing road work in Edo State has been commended by the state government.
Besides, government says the contractors handling the projects were delivering on record time.
The Chief of Staff to Governor Godwin Obaseki, Mr. Taiwo Akerele gave the commendation when he inspected Edo State Employment and Expenditure for Result (SEEFOR), road projects under construction within the Benin metropolis.
Akerele said the construction of the roads was critical because some of them link major roads within the Benin metropolis.
He said, “I am impressed that within a period of six months and now, we have been able to construct several roads with side-drains across the three senatorial districts.
“This means that the objective of the intervention is already yielding result and have impacted on the benefiting communities,” Akerele said.
He explained that the intervention was key to the development of the state, adding that the level of work done so far despite a small budgetary provision was encouraging.
“You can see for yourself the level of work done at Cooke Road; the road has been completed with side drains. The wild gully on the other side of the road has been constructed.
“The 1.23-kilometre Reuben Agho Road is 95 per cent completed. The 160 meters Okhoro/ Aghahowa Street is 50 per cent completed with side-drains and concrete pavement.
“Aigalegbe Street, Isihor from New Lagos Road is also 90 per cent completed,” he added.
He said some of the roads under construction link Oko Central and Upper Adesuwa and other major roads in the city.
He said, “The reason for the inspection today, is to encourage the contractors and SEEFOR workers to speed up work at various sites so that we can meet up the governor’s directive that all SEEFOR and other intervention projects are completed by the end of January.
“I am on this inspection mission to ensure compliance with the governor’s directives.”
According to him, the state government will continue to look for resources anywhere in the world to take Edo people out of hardship.
The programme is aimed at reducing poverty and unemployment in the four Niger Delta states of Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers that are participating in the project.
