Much have been said and written about the infrastructural development in Edo state since 2008 when the comrade Governor Adam Aliu Oshiomhole took over the mantle of leadership of the state. It will appear trite or weather beaten to start discussing the same issue all over again. I believe however that because of the critical necessity of infrastructure in the welfare of the citizenry and its position as the fulcrum on which economic development revolves, it merits repeated discussions no matter how often and how diverse the discussants are.

The comrade governors’ infrastructural development agenda took a different turn because it is the singular mission of his governance since all other aspects of development have been kept in abeyance. The health sector is comatose, agriculture is moribund, industry is not a priority, while sports, social welfare and security have been abandoned. No one is quarreling with these lapses since a man has a right to his priorities but one can quarrel, if having prioritized projects there is no cost effective excellence in the chosen prioritized projects.

The first issue of concern is the much talked about roads. The achievements in the number of roads constructed has been flaunted as the “Magnus opus ‘’ of the administration. The reports on the achievement are dexterously presented without bringing all the facts.. No one has ever told the public the number of kilometers of roads done and the length of drainages associated. It is possible to do 1,000 numbers of roads of 100 kilometers and it is also possible to do 100 numbers of roads of 1,000 kilometers. To the uninitiated common man the man who has done 1,000 numbers of roads has done what Napoleon could not do while the one who did 100 numbers of roads must be a laggard. However, by the time the number of roads is juxtaposed side by side with the length in kilometers an accurate evaluation and appraisal is made easy. We have never had this kind of report in Edo State under the present government.

Added to the above is the fact that the roads said to be constructed all over Edo State have never been reported with cost attached. What is so difficult in attaching the cost of the different roads with the kilometers of the road, so that public affairs analysts and independent Engineers can validly assess or appraise the cost effectiveness of these roads? As a result of this opaque dealing and incomplete information on these road projects some have argued that many of the roads were done at extraordinary and questionable costs that will mortify and provoke the conscience of all well meaning Edo people. Others have also argued that the costs variation between cost of award and final payment is too wide for comfort hence the government is not bold enough to release this information. To allay the fears of the public and build stake holding in government, nothing would have been bad if the cost associated with the roads are disclosed.

The other area of grave concern is the question of durability which was flaunted as likely to be responsible for the escalating cost of constructing these roads. Stakeholders might have consoled themselves by the fact that the durability of the roads as guaranteed and assured by government will more than adequately compensate for the exorbitant or unreasonable cost. Pathetically, and annoyingly, the facts on ground completely belie the assurances and guarantee of durability. As we speak, the roads and the stone base under it are being washed away. Take time to visit Uwasota , Siluko roads, the service lanes at Ugbowo, etc you will find that they are failing and eroding and will require heavy annual budget to rehabilitate and reinstate them.

The story in the schools is even more pathetic because the education of our children must never be politicised even if every other thing is politicised. The reality on ground is that these schools are already collapsing. The present administration did not build one single school anew; they were all renovated and painted. Nobody quarrels with this but what everybody now quarrels with is that the schools are becoming dilapidated again with leaking roofs, broken doors and windows: the focus, as it seems, when these schools were being renovated was not on durability or serviceability but simply for election purposes. Just like the roads executed, there is no full disclosure as to the actual cost of the schools rehabilitated and Edo people are forced to speculate how much of their resources have apparently gone down the drain.

The issue of the street lights that was greeted with so much euphoria and applause can also send revulsion and shivers down the spines of all well meaning Edo people. Putting the cost of installation apart, the question of workability arises. Have you noticed that nearly all the street lights in Benin City are dead? The excuse of lack of power from PHCN is a “non sequetur” argument because massive investments were made in the procurement of generators. The Lagos State we are copying still has functional street lights. Could it be that these street lights were done purposely to hoodwink our people into believing that development has come while shortchanging them in other spheres? How can the much publicized street lights collapse like a pack of card and yet no word from government. One can go on and on: it is the same story of grand deceit coupled with the arrogance of undermining and underrating the public.

The recent town hall meeting which the governor organised to mark his seven years in office would have been a golden opportunity to showcase his stewardship but alas for lack of visible performance, he resorted to tantrums and insults hoping to divert attention from the business at hand. He could not read a prepared speech because that would have exposed the abysmal failure of his second term. Few of the projects he spoke about were done in his first term and he surprisingly blamed the rains for hindering him in the past seven years from doing many of the roads he had promised and budgeted to execute. Questions that ought to have been addressed in that forum are (1) How much money has accrued to the State and local government in the past seven years including Internally Generated Revenue (IGR)? (2) How much does the State owe externally and internally and what were the monies used for? (3) list of the projects executed, stating year, cost, location and description (4) How much Security vote has been collected in the past seven years and how much of it was given to the security agencies (5) How many foreign trips has the governor made in the past seven years and the total cost and benefit to the state. (6) What foreign or local investors have been attracted to the State under the period? What happened to the much talked about Dangote investment or Shoprite? (7) Why has the State government not been paying the local government councils their 10% entitlement from the State IGR?

While we await answers to these fundamental questions, we sincerely plead with the governor to be mindful of the theme of his executive retreat in far away Abuja which centered on finishing well. It is not too late to make amends and appropriate State resources in a more judicious and transparent manner. It is our fervent hope that the next governorship election would offer Edo people the opportunity to elect a more credible and responsive government. By pastor Osage IZE-IYAMU #TheFutureIsNow

What has really gone wrong with Adams and Sir Lucky?
Anyway, I no fit shout because wetin we need for 9ja Na healthy competition among states.
Let's not forget, please mek wailers stop dey call man again. Una dey crowd my email inbox with invitation and you go accuse me of rubbish.
Seun,please pass this thread to those concern so that person no go dey talk say I insult am. You get your life to live likewise me too.

I greet my lovely people. I love nairaland and everyone on it.

He's APC. They are not transparent.

Africans (ie Nigerians) can even manage all that.

Its the non-Nigerians who are not used to such suffering, that might be wondering how to cope with all this hardship.