Since the inauguration of Senator Monday
Okpebholo as elected Governor on November 12th 2024, the administration
has chart a rising profile for Edo state in one hundred days and this has
envisioned an enduring policy framework that inculcates good governance,
progress, due process, accountability and sustainable development.
Prior to the coming of the Okpebholo’s administration,
governance in the state lacked the political will or commitment to evolve an
effective or holistic strategy to impact positively on the lives of the
people.
One hundred days in office, the impact of the
administration has been phenomenal and baffled even the most ardent critics
because of the giant strides of the Okpebholo administration which hit the
ground running immediately after inauguration.
The Governor believes that the basic function of
government is to cater to the welfare of its people and he knows that there can
be no meaningful progress or development without peace and security of persons
and property, good and accessible health care and durable and well maintained
network of roads.
As the Chief Security officer of the state, the
governor resolved to assist the various security agencies with necessary
logistic support in order to bring about an enabling environment where
Socio-economic development can thrive.
To curb insecurity, the governor declared war on
various cult groups which led to drastic reduction of cult- related killings in
the State as well as the deployment of a Special Tactical Team to Agenebode
which led to the timely rescue of kidnapped victims and dislodging of
kidnappers and other criminal gangs from that axis.
In realization of the Okpebholo administration’s
campaign promise to create a secure, peaceful and harmonious environment
to thrive, the Governor rescued kidnapped victims and smoked out kidnappers and
criminal gangs in Uromi and environs and made the Passage of a new Cultism
Prohibition Law with severe penalties for cultists and their sponsors.
The government Procured several brand new Toyota Hilux
vehicles for various Security Agencies in Edo State to enhance security
operations in the State and in a deliberate effort to tackle holistically the
challenges of insecurity in the state, the Governor Procured one
thousand high functional motorcycles and vehicles which have been
presented to the security agencies for security operation, bush combing and
tactical pursuit of kidnappers and other criminals.
The Public Safety Response Team was constituted to
assist Security Agencies in the enforcement of public safety measures and
maintenance of public order as well as the reconstitution of the Edo State
Security Corps, validation of members and illegal arms mop- up with Over a
thousand illegal firearms recovered so far.
With these security measures put in place and
more coming, the governor believes that this is the only way by which the
much needed investors with the multiplier effect of employment for the people
can be encouraged and sustained.
The center piece of the new health policy of the
Okpebholo administration is the facilitation of smooth take-off of the National
Obstetrics Fistula Center in Edo State (the first and only one in the
South-South Geo-political zone) through the donation of 25 hectares of land
(with a Certificate of Occupancy) to the Federal Government for the purpose.
This was a feat that the Federal Ministry of Health
could not achieve in almost two years of the past administration but was
actualized within seven days of Senator Monday Okpebholo’s Administration. The
government Flag-off the IsDB LLF Support to the Malaria Elimination Project in
Edo State and the launch of free malaria testing and treatment in all
Government Hospitals in the State for the next two years.
There has been on-boarding of three hundred vulnerable
persons across the State into the State Equity Plan of the Edo State Health
Insurance Commission and the digitalization of Statewide Health Insurance Data
Transmission, the successful launch of the Edo State Health Insurance
Commission Customer Service/Support Policy, the upgrade of State-owned health
facilities to enhance service delivery and the completion of the Oredo Primary
Healthcare Center.
In consonance with the Senator Monday Okpebholo policy
of improving the health sector, the administration Procured transformers and
Air conditioners for the Edo Specialist Hospital, distributed eighteen
Ultrasound Machines to hospitals in the eighteen Local Government Areas,
distributed two hundred and twenty (220)laptops and tables to two hundred and
twenty Primary Healthcare Centers for data management as well as the
procurement of a Bus and Hilux vehicle for Primary Healthcare Project
Monitoring
Prior to the inauguration of the administration of
Governor Okpebholo, various major roads, especially federal roads were death
traps and in keeping with his campaign promises upon assumption of
office, the Governor awarded the contract and commencement of construction of a
flyover bridge at Ramat Park, Benin City which will apart from easing the
traffic congestion in that axis, provide commerce for the people.
The government Procured Payloaders, trucks and
compressors for the Edo State Waste Management Agency to enhance their
services, as well as Passage and implementation of the Edo State Electricity
Regulatory Commission Law which empowers the State to generate, transmit and
distribute power and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed with the
NNPC Limited and other investors to build a $300 Million Condensate Refinery in
Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State
The government has also Signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) for the installation of $500m 100MW Hydropower Plant at
Ikpoba and Ojirami Dams in Edo State and resuscitated the Edo Transport Service
(a.k.a Edo Line) with the procurement and commissioning of one hundred brand
new Hiace Buses for inter-state travels
In its first one hundred days in office, the Okpebholo
administration has made remarkable strides in the delivery of prompt dividends
of democracy by maintaining some bad roads in the state.
The government Awarded contracts for the
rehabilitation of some failed sections of Upper Mission Road, Benin City,
rehabilitation of critically failed sections of the Benin-Auchi Road from
Obadan Junction to Iruekpen, ongoing construction of Ekpoma-Uromi-Ubiaja Road,
ongoing construction of
Uromi-Onewa-Udomi-Ibhiolulu-Afuda-Idumoza-Eko-Uwaya-Ewora Road with Spurs,
ongoing construction of Ekiuwa-University of Benin City (UNIBEN) Road, off
Upper Mission Road (Temboga Road Extension), Benin City, construction of
Versity Road, off Usugbenu Road in Esan Central Local Government Area
(completed), ongoing Construction of Palace Road, off Upper Mission Road, Benin
City, Construction of Irrua-Akho-Illeh-Ukhun Road in Esan Central and Esan West
Local Government Areas,and the Construction of Irrua-Illeh-Usenu-Ukhun Road in
Esan West Local Government Area.
In addition, the government approved the procurement
of contract for the construction of Ohe-Uzea Road in Esan North East Local
Government Area, the procurement of contract for the construction of Prince
Harrison Street, Illeh in Esan Central Local Government Area, the procurement
of contract for the reconstruction of Boundary Road, off Ogba Road, Benin City,
the procurement of contract for the construction of Okhunmwun Road in Ovia
North East Local Government Area, the procurement of contract for the construction
of 1.5km Utako-Idumu-Aligbe Road, 0.8km Idumu-Ekhuere Road and increased
quantity for the replacement of the existing undulating drain as additional
works to the contract for the construction of
Uromi-Onewa-Udomi-Ibhiolulu-Afuda-Idumoza-Eko-Uwaya-Ewora Road with Spurs.
There are also renovation of the Offices of the
Governor, Deputy Governor, Secretary to the State Government and Head of
Service as well as the rehabilitation of four (4) Court of Appeal
Complexes and Judges’ Quarters, revitalization of the Edo Broadcasting Service
(EBS) Ihievbe Substation; restoring operations after nearly a decade of
downtime and Upgrade of Information and Communication Technology and other
infrastructure at the State-owned Edo Broadcasting Service (EBS)
The Okpebholo administration made significant
investments in the development of the information and communication sector with
the Procurement of Two units of 150KVA Perkins Generator for EBS, Procurement
of high-end digital equipment, such as High-performance Mac, Broadcasting and
Streaming Softwares, Professional Quadcopter Drone with 4K UHD Video Camera,
10kva TV Transmitter, Audio Interfaces/Mixers etc.
The government approved the upgrade of Edo State’s
Network Infrastructure from 1 Gigabit to a 10 Gigabit Fibre Network supporting
services like video conferencing, large file sharing, VoIP calls and more
across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Partnering with Cisco
Networking Academy and others to train and equip the Information Communication
Technology Agency Network Staff to efficiently control and independently manage
the 10 Gigabit Fibre Network across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)
The government Constructed Town Halls in Ohanmi, Owan
East Local Government Areas and twenty other Communities across the three
Senatorial Districts of Edo State using the CSDA Platform and provision of
All-in-One Solar Streetlights in Iyekogba and 30 other Communities across the
three Senatorial Districts of Edo State, using the CSDA Platform, Provision of
500 KVA Transformers and rural electrification in Uwessan, Esan Central Local
Government Area and 25 other Communities across the 3 senatorial districts
using the CSDA platform, Construction of Markets and lockup stores in Auchi and
other locations in the 3 Senatorial Districts using the CSDA platform,
Provision of Boreholes and reticulation at Uzenema, Esan North East and other
selected locations in the 3 senatorial districts, using the CSDA platform, and
Reconstruction of a Police Post at Ojo-Uwelu, Egor, Esan Central Local
Government, using the CSDA platform.
Hon Paul Ohonbamu
Commissioner for Information and Communications
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