The Edo State government has reacted to statements made by the Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku that the Benin-Ore road was now brand new and praising the Federal Government for roads reconstructed by the state government, calling him a liar over the condition of the roads.
This was made known in a press statement issued and signed in Benin City on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Kassim Afegbua, which said that it was good that the Edo State government disowned the “Good Governance Tour” being undertaken by Maku and his team, otherwise the Minister would have showcased projects exclusively sponsored and executed by the state government as those of the Federal Government.
“It would have been convenient for him to declare that all the beautiful road networks in Benin City and Edo State that he rode through and were constructed and transformed by the governor were all owned by the Federal Government. We saw that political confusion coming ab initio; hence, we distanced the state government from such a needlessly wasteful adventure to save Edo State taxpayers’ money.”
Afegbua noted that apart from the resurfacing of the Ugbowo-Lagos road presently being undertaken by the Federal Government and the newly-awarded dualization of the Okene-Benin road, the Federal Government could not claim to have reconstructed any road in Edo State, despite the efforts of the Maku and his Works counterpart, Mike Onolememen to showcase Edo projects at Five-Junction area of Benin as one being undertaken by the Federal Government.
The statement added that the roads owned by the Federal Government that needed urgent attention include the Amedokhian-Ukoni road and the Aduwawa road in Benin City, among others.