The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has expressed his commitment to completing the Benin stormwater project and other ongoing infrastructural projects across the state to improve livelihoods and engender sustainable development.
The governor gave the assurance while inspecting the underground drainage system being constructed at the Ekehuan-Ugbiyokho Road-axis of Benin City, the Edo State state.
Obaseki said the state government is expending tax payers money prudently with a focus on building durable infrastructure, noting, “This project is money well-spent. We negotiated prudently with our contractors. We are spending Edo tax payers money judiciously and getting greater value to improve the lives of the people. Our focus is to build infrastructure and make life easier, as we are committed to creating an enabling environment for our citizens to prosper.”
Obaseki added, “Our actions are causing pain to some people who in the past didn’t really see the need of expending Edo tax payers money on massive infrastructure that will benefit majority of the people.”
He said the project will be connected to the Benin River Port, noting, “We will take this alignment to Gelegele and do another alignment at the location of the sea port.”
The governor added that his government will ensure every part of the state benefits from the developmental strides being recorded under his administration, assuring that residents in Evbuotubu will also benefit from the massive infrastructural development.
Obaseki said, “We will certainly move in to Evbuotubu when we are done with the work at Textile Mill road and here. When I get another term in office, our development strides will continue. Right now, most banks and contractors are reluctant to give us credit and money due to the uncertainty created in the state. This has affected us and we are unable to move as fast as we would have loved to.
“When the elections are over, we will be able to access more financial resources and the people of Evbuotubu will benefit from the quality infrastructure we are building across the state. We have not abandoned the Benin Stormwater project in the state. Any project that is well conceived with linkages to what we are doing, we will continue them.
“We are constructing the phase two of stormwater project around Gapiona axis in Government Reserved Area (GRA) with the funding coming from the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP).”
The Commissioner of Infrastructure, Hon. John Inegbedion said the underground drainage system is about 2.5km, adding, “The major work here is the drainage system. We all know the challenge of erosion in Ekehuan Road. This is the solution. The underground drainage system will be linking the existing primary drainage that was done at the first phase of the storm water project.”
