Benin River Port, road projects in progress — Obaseki clarifies

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

The Candidate of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) for the September 19, 2020 Governorship election in Edo State, Governor Godwin Obaseki has declared that the Benin River port project in Ovia North East Local Government Area of the State is still on cause.
The Governor who disclosed this during PDP Campaign on Wednesday in Oduna Ward 11 in the locality, said that the port will be completed before the end of his second term in office if given the mandate.
He attributed the suspension of work at the port and Ekehuan road dualization and construction of Oduna-Gelegele road to Covid-19 lockdown on international flights.
Obaseki assured that Engineers will return to site as soon as the ban on international flight is lifted months after the Coronavirus hibernation.
“I wasn’t happy when I was coming here due to the bad road leading to these area. When I awarded the contract, they told us that the project was intended to be completed these year.
“But nobody knew that Covid-19 will come. The Contracts have gone home. Now that the Government has lifted ban on international flight, by the grace of God, the job (road construction) will be completed before the end of next year.
“By the grace of God, that port that we are building will be ready before the end of my second tenure. That is why the road is my priority”, he said.
He also described the access road to the project site as strategic, adding that the tour provides him the opportunity to acquaint himself with the problems and challenges of the people and provide a work plan on how to resolve them.
The PDP Candidate, promise to liaise with a gas company operating in the area to provide electricity for the rural dwellers.
Addressing newsmen after a tour of the Gelegele waterway on Wednesday, Governor Godwin Obaseki, assured residents of the State of lives and property.
He recalled how his Government procured four gunboats and artillery weapons to violent crimes in waterway arising from the security lapses for the Government.
According to the Governor, like you know, we have one of the porous waterway which use to be a safe haven for kidnappings, armed robbery and other nefarious activities in the area and from neighbouring States.
He also assured that in the next thee years, the security situation would have evolved.