Timothy Omobude 
By: (I.T) Inna Friday
Edo State Government has appealed to residents to be patient, saying construction engineers cannot fix roads effectively during the rainy season.
The government also attributed the widespread deterioration of roads across the state to substandard construction work carried out by the immediate past administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, stated this on Wednesday while addressing journalists during the ministry’s monthly media briefing.
He assured residents that the Gov. Okpebholo-led administration would embark on massive road repairs when the dry season finally set in.
The commissioner noted that any attempt to embark on road repairs at this time would amount to a waste of construction materials and public funds.
Afegbua accused the immediate past administration of poor road construction, which he said had led to the deterioration of road infrastructure across Edo State, adding that the Okpebholo-led administration was deliberate and determined to turn the situation around.
“The current administration is people driven and very much alive to its responsibility. If we had an opportunity like the previous government to build credible, quality and durable roads, we will not be complaining or lamenting now.
“When the dry season comes, the government will speed up works to cover areas, so that our people can enjoy good infrastructure, we are going to confront all these challenges head on.
“A lot of these roads within the Benin metropolis were actually rehabilitated and repaired during the immediate past government. Obaseki did quantity and not quality roads. Edo people must understand the base line for the current situation regarding roads in the state.
“If you go there now, the roads are full of potholes and are decaying. One begins to wonder what the celebration was about. Roads were supposed to last a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 30 years.
“No construction engineer will attempt to fix potholes or bad roads during the rainy season. We are experiencing heavy rain now,” he concluded.
