Edo residents shower encomiums on Tinubu, Akpakomiza over Benin-Auchi-Okene road repairs

Residents of Edo State have commended President Bola Tinubu over the movement of men and equipment to the deplorable Benin-Auchi-Okene road for rehabilitation, saying that the road was being reconstructed by Federal Government and not the local government.

Recall that the Senator representing Edo central senatorial district and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Monday Okpebholo, popularly called Akpakomiza, had last month visited the Presidential Villa with Senator Adams Oshiomhole to seek Federal Government’s intervention on the road.

The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, who receive them on behalf of President Tinubu, assured them that Federal Government was going to intervene in the reconstruction of the road.
Shettima, who swiftly invited the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, to the meeting in the Villa promised that works was going to commence on the project soon because of the imminent rainy season.

Umahi added that the Ministry of Works had approved a new technology in the reconstruction of the road which would take only six months to complete.

The technology, ministry sources revealed was called the “Rigid Pavement Technology” which was is a blend of cement, sand and other aggregates to make the road compact, durable and long lasting.

Barrister Thompson Osagie, an APC stalwart who spoke to newsmen over the excitement of the people called on politicians to desist from playing politics with infrastructure development such as the Benin-Auchi-Okene road project.

Shortly after BUA officials arrived in Ekpoma Wednesday to meet with the local government officials to solicit for protection of their men and equipment during the course of their work, news filtered around that Esan West Local Government authority had commenced work on the Benin-Auchi-Okene road which is a federal government road.

While dousing fake reports, Osagie said Esan West Local Government Council does not have the capacity to undertake such immense project like the Benin-Auchi-Okene road.

He added that BUA officials only went to the council Chairman, Colins Aigbogun to solicit their cooperation in the protection of their equipment since they will be operating from Ekpoma, which is normal.

Okpebholo had taken the plea for intervention on the road project to Presidency when he lamented that the people no longer have access to Benin city, the capital city from other parts of the state.

The excitement which spread to communities on the corridor from Okpella to Aduwawa, saw many people thanking President Tinubu for his intervention.

Josie Owobu, a motorist in Ewu junction on the corridor, lamented that business have been very bad for them for some time now and praised Tinubu for remembering them. He also commended Senator Okpebholo for representing the masses at the Upper Chambers.

Full works begins on the failed sections of the road next week, ministry sources added.