Okpebholo distributes 54 construction machines to boost local development

By Jethro Ibileke

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo on Monday said development of the state should not be concentrated at the centre

He stated this in Benin, the state capital, at the handing over of 54 construction equipment to 18 local government council chairmen for use in the department of their respective areas.

The Governor who said the distribution of the equipment was deliberate and strategic – to develop the grassroots, for construction purposes.

“We believe that development must not be concentrated at the centre; it must reach every village, every community, and every ward.

“Our local governments must have the capacity to deliver practical governance for the Edo people.

“These machines are tools of transformation. They are meant to open rural roads, improve drainage, support sanitation, and accelerate local infrastructure delivery. They are not for show. They are not for storage. They are for work,” Okpebholo said.

Addressing the 18 Local Government Chairmen, the governor described the distribution of the equipment as “a test of leadership and responsibility.”

According to him, “These equipment belong to the people of Edo State. Use them transparently, maintain them properly, and deploy them efficiently for public good – not personal use.

“When local governments work, Edo State works. And when Edo works, our people prosper. The Edo people must see the impacts in roads rehabilitation, improved drainages, and faster project execution.

“This administration will continue to empower every tier of government to deliver practical governance to the Edo people,” he concluded.

Speaking at the event, the Special Guest of Honour and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nysom Wike, who performed the commissioning, noted that with the presentation of the equipment, Governor Okpebholo has shown that development must spread to the rural areas.

He said Okpebholo has given the local government opportunity to perform and go far in politic, as their performance at the local level would determine how far they would go in politics.

“The governor has simply challenged you to replicate what he is doing in the state and he has told you that the the equipment are not for hiring but for development,” Wike said.

He eulogised Okpebholo, stressing he has laid the foundation for Mr President and all the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the state to be elected in the 2027 elections “because you have shown the people what you have done and what the party can do.”