FG has abandoned Edo, Obaseki laments after getting stuck in muddy Sapele road

Reeling from the pain and difficulty of plying the dilapidated Sapele Road in Benin, some residents have circulated a video of Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, who was stranded at the RCC junction of the road at the state capital after heavy rain made the road flooded and unpassable.

The video of the incident which occurred on Friday has gone viral with a background voice urging viewers to share the video to show that it is pay back time for leaders who fail to take needed action to help the people.

“When we told the government to fix the road, they were busy filling the potholes with broken blocks. They think they are suffering the masses. Now it is pay back time as the masses are not the only ones suffering the collapse of this road.

“The governor is the one inside the vehicle but it has stopped moving. This is his vehicle (pointing at it), he cannot come down as he is ashamed. Everyone (both the poor and the rich) is feeling the brunt of bad policies in the country,” the background (male) voice said.

But after a while, the convoy was seen moving away from the flooded part of the road.

Earlier, Governor Obaseki, had told journalists that the state government cannot intervene in fixing the Benin-Auchi and Benin-Sapele roads because the Federal Government has awarded contracts for the repair of the roads.

He stated that much as Edo State is a transportation hub, it was regrettable that the major Federal Road networks in the state, that connect several parts of the country are in bad condition.

The governor explained that his administration has done everything in its power to appeal to the Federal Government to look into the repairs of the wide span of damaged Federal Roads in Edo State, adding that his administration drew the attention of the Federal Government to the failed portions of Benin-Auchi Roads, Benin-Sapele Road and the Benin-Lagos Road, particularly the Ovia River Bridge but nothing has been done yet.

“Look at the incident that happened in Ovia River Bridge three weeks ago, in which we lost several lives following multiple accidents. Nothing has been done till now. This shows they don’t care about us in the State.

“The issue on the Benin-Lagos Road, particularly the Ovia River Crossing is becoming catastrophic. We have lost a lot of lives and done everything to get the Federal Government and the Federal Ministry of Works to work with us and put in place a palliative measure to stop the carnage on that road.”

Commenting on Sapele Road, Obaseki said: “I was on Sapele Road recently. After the heavy downpour, the road was impassable. What is going on on Benin-Sapele road is scandalous. I don’t think that any region where the oil resources that sustain the country come from should be this neglected. We have done everything possible. We don’t know what to do again to draw the attention of the federal government to these roads.

“The Auchi-Ibillo Road was so bad that some of our contractors couldn’t go to their quarry site. We appealed to the Federal Government to do palliative work on that road but they refused, saying the road is under contract. If I want to do the same to Benin-Sapele Road, I am not allowed to do so. They claim the road has been given out to a contractor.

“Last year, the Benin-Auchi Road was locked for about two weeks as food, animals, petroleum products could not reach their destination. We don’t want such situations this year so they should help us. We are not here to criticize them but to appeal for help.”

The governor pointed that the federal government’s policy relating to these roads is very confusing, explaining that in the past, states could rehabilitate Federal roads and give the Federal Government the bills, but that is no longer obtainable.

“At a point they said we can apply and take over the repair of federal roads but I am yet to see a state they have given federal roads to fix”, he said.