Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Edo, has pledged to repair interstate roads in the state and claim twice the cost from the federal government if elected.
Okpebholo, who faces rivals Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) in the upcoming September 21 election, made this statement during an interview with BBC Pidgin.
Responding to criticism about the state’s neglect of interstate roads, he dismissed the excuse of federal responsibility, calling it an “unserious” approach.
He praised former Edo Governor Adams Oshiomhole for using state funds to fix federal roads and recovering the expenses.
“When Adams Oshiomhole was there (governor), he was using our own Edo state money for those roads (federal roads) for Edo people,” Okpebholo said.
“I have seen several governors that have done that; they recouped their money. If I were him (Obaseki), if I put 10 million there (on federal roads), I will claim 20 million from the federal government.”
It would be recalled that in July 2023, Governor Godwin Obaseki’s convoy was caught in a muddy section of the Benin-Sapele road, a federal route.
The incident went viral, stirring public reactions.
Obaseki, responding to the public outcry, stated that his administration could not repair federal roads like Benin-Auchi and Benin-Sapele due to unclear federal policies on state intervention in road rehabilitation.
Despite raising the issue with the federal government, Obaseki noted that no action had been taken to address the dire state of the roads.
