365 days in office: Okpebholo to commission critical projects

By Jethro Ibileke

The Edo State Government has lined up a series of activities to mark the first anniversary of Governor Monday Okpebholo in office, with the commissioning of critical projects across the three senatorial districts.

The State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, disclosed this on Monday in Benin City while briefing journalists on the activities scheduled to commemorate the governor’s one year in office.

He explained that the events will commence on 7 November with project tours by dignitaries from within and outside the state, followed by the commissioning of various projects, and will conclude with a colloquium on 12 November.

Afegbua stated that the present administration inherited widespread decay and infrastructural collapse from the immediate past administration of Godwin Obaseki, adding that Governor Okpebholo has successfully “repaired the broken-down vehicle of the state and put it back on the road.”

“The present administration came on stream on 12 November 2024. By this year, 12 November 2025, we will be marking one year in office.

“To cut costs, we will focus on commissioning projects across the three senatorial districts, in healthcare delivery, education, road reconstruction, and agricultural intervention.

“We are hoping to start the tours from the 7th to the 11th of November, visiting each senatorial district to commission specific projects,” he said.

The Commissioner added that the government would not pretend that it did not inherit severe infrastructural decay, noting that the Okpebholo administration has been working hard to restore the state’s functionality.

According to him, projects to be commissioned include reconstructed public schools and primary healthcare centres across the state.

“We are pleased that across the state, about 60 to 63 schools are receiving attention under the first phase of our intervention. More than half have been completed and will be commissioned.

“We also have about 60 primary healthcare centres that have been rehabilitated and put to good use. Our general hospitals, which were in shambles, are now receiving serious attention as we work to repackage them,” Afegbua said.

Employment and Civil Service Reforms

He noted that the government had also made significant strides in employment generation.

“The teacher population had been abysmally low. We have recruited 5,000 teachers into the Edo Civil Service. In addition, 500 civil servants have been employed to fill vacant positions and revitalise the state’s workforce. We thank God that we have been able to inject new blood into the system.”

Security

Afegbua further explained that Governor Okpebholo’s administration had recorded major improvements in the security sector.

“We have donated over 60 Hilux vehicles to security agencies and provided 400 motorcycles to the police, civil defence, and DSS to enhance mobility, especially in rural areas. We have also recruited 2,500 men and women into the Edo Security Corps.

“These personnel will collaborate with the police in intelligence gathering and community policing. We are also engaging neighbouring states to strengthen inter-state collaboration in tackling security challenges,” he said.

Agriculture

The Commissioner disclosed that the government has made progress in the agricultural sector.

“We have existing rice plantations in the state, and the governor has initiated a pilot maize project covering 400 acres of land. He inspected the site last week and confirmed that the maize is ready for harvest.

The harvested maize will be sold, while some will be stored in silos for use by end-users. We are focused on practical governance — on results people can see,” he said.

Looking ahead, Afegbua said Governor Okpebholo remains committed to improving governance and transforming the fortunes of the state for the benefit of its residents.

“We may not have resolved all the crises, but we have the political will to take decisive action, particularly on the issue of cultism.

“We will continue to fix our roads, address decayed infrastructure in the education sector, and rebuild our human capital development system, which was previously mismanaged by external consultants who have since abandoned the state.

It has not been easy, but we thank God that we have brought the state’s vehicle out of the mechanic’s workshop and back on the road — we are now test-driving it,” he concluded.