Edo has completed construction of 546 km of road since 2016 – Commissioner
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The Edo government says it has so far allocated about 886 kilometers of roads for construction since 2016, when the current administration took office.
The State Commissioner for Bridges and Roads, Newton Okojie, who revealed it Thursday in Benin during a press conference, noted that 546 of these kilometers of road had since been completed.
According to him, the briefing became necessary due to the pocket of protests that have engulfed the state lately over complaints about poor road conditions in parts of the state.
Okojie said, "One of the main goals of this program is infrastructure development; the dream is to make Edo State the preferred destination by 2050.
"I want to reassure the people of Edo State that the Governor remains 100% focused and committed to making the dream come true.
"A study by one of our consultants in 2016 showed that Edo has about 9,700 kilometers of roads crossing its landscape; and at the rate that communities are now developing and selling land, we know that the figure would have already increased.
“Of the 9,700 kilometers, approximately 2,700 kilometers are paved; the remaining 7000 kilometers are unpaved.
"In addition, there is a total length of approximately 763 kilometers of federal roads in Edo, all of which are paved. State is faced with having to build an exceptional road of 7000 kilometers.
"When we came on board, the first task the governor gave us was to come up with a plan to close the infrastructure gap with respect to state roads.
"He told us specifically that he didn't want us to plan for two years, but to give us a sustainable and achievable plan for the next 30 years. He said he would implement this plan for the remaining part of his administration in order to show the people that the plan is actually workable and that he would hand over to the next regime to carry on from there."
The commissioner said the state has a plan to build 3,100 miles of roads over the next 30 years if resources permit.
He noted that road construction works have slowed down lately due to the incessant rains in the state. He appealed for patience, assuring that work would begin in full as soon as the dry season sets in.
Speaking also, State Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development, Jonathan Lawani, blamed improper waste disposal on flooding that caused part of the roads to fail.
Please share this story:
The Edo government says it has so far allocated about 886 kilometers of roads for construction since 2016, when the current administration took office.
The State Commissioner for Bridges and Roads, Newton Okojie, who revealed it Thursday in Benin during a press conference, noted that 546 of these kilometers of road had since been completed.
According to him, the briefing became necessary due to the pocket of protests that have engulfed the state lately over complaints about poor road conditions in parts of the state.
Okojie said, "One of the main goals of this program is infrastructure development; the dream is to make Edo State the preferred destination by 2050.
"I want to reassure the people of Edo State that the Governor remains 100% focused and committed to making the dream come true.
"A study by one of our consultants in 2016 showed that Edo has about 9,700 kilometers of roads crossing its landscape; and at the rate that communities are now developing and selling land, we know that the figure would have already increased.
“Of the 9,700 kilometers, approximately 2,700 kilometers are paved; the remaining 7000 kilometers are unpaved.
"In addition, there is a total length of approximately 763 kilometers of federal roads in Edo, all of which are paved. State is faced with having to build an exceptional road of 7000 kilometers.
"When we came on board, the first task the governor gave us was to come up with a plan to close the infrastructure gap with respect to state roads.
"He told us specifically that he didn't want us to plan for two years, but to give us a sustainable and achievable plan for the next 30 years. He said he would implement this plan for the remaining part of his administration in order to show the people that the plan is actually workable and that he would hand over to the next regime to carry on from there."
The commissioner said the state has a plan to build 3,100 miles of roads over the next 30 years if resources permit.
He noted that road construction works have slowed down lately due to the incessant rains in the state. He appealed for patience, assuring that work would begin in full as soon as the dry season sets in.
Speaking also, State Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development, Jonathan Lawani, blamed improper waste disposal on flooding that caused part of the roads to fail.
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