After several protests and ordeal, residents of Edo State are excited over the federal government’s movement of equipment and construction workers to fix the neglected Benin-Auchi-Okene Road.
The residents commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the prompt rehabilitation of the road, which came less than his one year in office.
They also applauded the Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the September elector, Senator Monday Okpebholo for working with the federal government to begin the reconstruction of the road contrary to the viral report that the highway is being fixed by a local government in the state.
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 an 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 the 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 has 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 work begins on the failed sections of the road next week, ministry sources added.
Okpebholo, who also represents Edo Central Senatorial District on the platform of the APC had last month visited the Presidential Villa with Senator Adams Oshiomhole to seek the federal government’s intervention on the road.
The senator who is popularly called Akpakomiza was received by Vice President Kashim Shettima who on behalf of President Tinubu assured them that the federal government was going to intervene in the reconstruction of the road.
Shettima who swiftly invited the minister of works, Engr Dave Umahi, to the meeting in the Villa promised that work would commence on the project ahead of the 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 is a blend of cement, sand and other aggregates to make the road compact, durable and long lasting.