The Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, has blamed the deteriorating condition of roads across the state on what he described as poor-quality construction works carried out by the immediate past administration of former Governor Godwin Obaseki.
Afegbua made the allegation during the ministry’s monthly media briefing, saying an assessment of roads constructed or rehabilitated under the previous administration showed that several had developed potholes and were already deteriorating.
The commissioner urged residents to be patient with the Governor Monday Okpebholo-led administration, assuring them that major road repairs would be undertaken during the dry season.
He said the government was reluctant to commence extensive road repairs during the rainy season because heavy rainfall could undermine the work and lead to the wastage of construction materials and public funds.
“Of critical reference is the issue of roads. If we had an opportunity like the previous government to do credible, quality and durable roads, we would not be complaining or lamenting now.
“A lot of these roads within the Benin metropolis were actually rehabilitated and repaired during the immediate past government,” Afegbua said.
He accused the previous administration of executing projects that lacked the durability required of major road infrastructure, arguing that this had contributed to the current state of some roads across Edo.
The commissioner also criticised supporters of the former governor for attacking the present administration over the condition of the roads, saying the extent of deterioration raised questions about the quality of some projects executed under the previous government.
“The level of road decay experienced now is that the roads then were quantity, not quality jobs. We did an assessment of the GRA, Iyekogba Estate, Irihrih and Okoroma roads, and the roads were purported to have been done by the Obaseki-led administration.
“If you go there now, the roads are full of potholes and decaying. One begins to wonder what the celebration was about? Roads were supposed to spend a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 30 years.
“I am making records of these roads because we are being criticised on social media and they wonder what we are doing,” he said.
Afegbua said the Okpebholo administration remained committed to improving road infrastructure and making roads across the state motorable.
“No construction engineer will attempt to fix potholes and bad roads during the rainy season. We are experiencing heavy rain now,” he added.
The commissioner maintained that the government would intensify road rehabilitation once the dry season begins, when conditions would be more suitable for carrying out durable repairs.
