Road rehabilitation efforts: Accolades, as Urhoghide facilitates completion of more roads
A Publication in The Navigator Newspaper
By Monday Oviawe
With the recent reconstruction and complete asphalting of Awo Street from Second East Circular road to Ogbelaka Street, Benin City, as facilitated by the Senator representing the seven local government areas of Edo South senatorial district, Pharmacist Matthew Aisagbonriodion Urhoghide, the people of the district, especially landlords and residents of Awo Street, have continued to shower praises and accolades on the Senator for rising to the occasion to lift indigenes of the district out of infrastructural dilapidation.
So, penultimate week, when the final touches were being made on Awo Street, excited residents, who spoke with The Navigator, expressed delight, while thumbing up for Senator Urhoghide for bringing vibrant life and boisterous economic activities back to the street and environs, especially with the complete reconstruction and street-lighting of the neighbouring Isienmwenro street earlier this year. One of the elders of the street, a landlord, Pa James Agharese, explained that “for a long time we have painfully endured the bad nature of this road. Because of the difficulties in accessing the road, several persons, even those indigenous to this area, moved out and relocated to other sections of Benin. Then, it was really very depressing. But today, we have Senator Urhoghide to thank for coming to our rescue. The Good Lord and the benevolent spirits of the Benin kingdom would continue to bless and protect him. We really are grateful to him.”
With palpable joy written over her face, a business owner on the street, Mrs. Eunice Idahosa, danced and clapped in praise of Senator Urhoghide for facilitating the complete reconstruction of Awo Street. Said the business owner in pidgin, “Since work start here for this road, all of us dey jolly; na God go bless our Senator, Senator Urhoghide. He don prove say he bi man of his words. If he promise you, he go fulfill the promise. E don tay wey dem dey do this road; we happy say today dem don finish am. People wey get stores and shades for here, dem bi don dey comot, because business no dey like that; but today, we are happy.”
There is no under-estimating the importance of access roads and bridges in the development and growth of towns and communities. This is because apart from opening up the towns and communities for social intercourse with other communities, roads and bridges further expand and advance the economic potentials of towns and communities, providing avenues for easier transportation and evacuation of foodstuffs and other farm produce to bigger towns, cities and markets, thereby supporting and improving the financial stability of indigenes and residents of these communities.
However, over the years, especially in side streets in the city centre and rural communities of Edo South senatorial district, there had been a dearth of access roads inter-connecting major roads and connecting communities. And in several cases too, some communities had been cut off from the mainstream socio-economic lives of the state, especially by vehicular connections. This was because un-bridged rivers and streams had made vehicular access impossible. So, for these communities, they had been making do with makeshift wooden bridges, which collapsed intermittently and were often washed away when the rivers and streams overflowed their banks, causing extensive heartaches to inhabitants and dwellers.
To make all of this history, respite has seemingly come to these township side streets and communities since the outset of the Senator Matthew Aisagbonriodion Urhoghide’s representation of the people of Edo South Senatorial district at the Senate in Abuja. Since 2015, when he began expressing the popular mandate given him by the people of the district, and especially since the 2015 – 2016 budget of the federal government became operational, the road rehabilitation and reconstruction activities, which were influenced and facilitated into the budget by Senator Urhoghide, have started opening up the communities, bringing palpable succour to the people.
It is on record that in his first year in office, alone, Senator Urhoghide had over thirty-three (33) road rehabilitation and reconstruction projects at various stages of completion, across the seven local government areas of Edo South senatorial district, including the construction of six (6) 3 high concrete Water Flow Rings bridges connecting several, hitherto, river-partitioned communities.
For the avoidance of doubts, the bridges include 20feet by 40feet standard concrete bridge with galvanized rods and handrails at Ogiza Stream, Iyekogba, Oredo local government area; construction of same project at Ovbo Stream, Iyekogba; construction of 3 high concrete water flow rings bridge at Ozima stream, Iyekogba; construction of same project at Ugogogin Stream; construction of same project at Ovia Stream, Iyekogba and construction of same project at Dedemise Stream, Iyekogba, all in Oredo local government area.
In Oredo local government area, Senator Urhoghide has among several others, facilitated the construction and asphalting of a 2-lane road from Express road to the Multipurpose Hall at Ekae Community; complete rehabilitation of Etete Street from the Adesuwa Grammar School road to Enogie Street; construction of Enogie Street; complete rehabilitation of Isienmwenro street from Sokponba road to Second East Circular road; complete rehabilitation of Ofumwengbe Street; and construction of Idemudia Street, off Sapele Road.
In Orhionmwon local government area, five roads have already been marked out for attention courtesy of the intervention of Senator Urhoghide who has influenced the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to construct the Umoghun-Nekhere, Evbodobian-Evbobemwen with Spur to Evboyegha-Evbokabua with Spur to Ogba-Otobaye-Evbuaeghae, a 35kilometre road in Iyoba Ward. The construction of Obozogbe-niro – Abudu Road (Obagie-Abudu-Ugbighele-Abraka alignment), has been influenced into work schedule of relevant agencies, including the construction of Ogba Road to Adanako-Ogieriakhi to Market Road with Spur to Ugbogo Express of the Benin-Abraka Road (Phase 1) in Ugo. Also awaiting effective attention is the construction of Iduemwongba/Evbogbon 1.6km Road, Ugo, while the NDDC would handle the construction of Eso-Oheze-Evboehighae Road in Eso-Oheze.
In Ovia South-West local government area, Senator Urhoghide has facilitated the construction of Ugbogui-Benin-Lagos Road (Phase 1); construction of Udo-Ofunama-Ajakuroma road with link bridge across Ofunama creek to connect Ofunama and Ogbudu/Ogbiribiri communities (Phases 1 & 2; the projects are being handled by the NDDC. In Uhunmwode local government area, there is the construction of the Evbowe internal roads, Benin City, being handled by the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.
In all of these, Senator Urhoghide has continued to assure the people of the senatorial district of his determination to see to the proper completion of these projects to specifications, even as he insisted that none of the projects would be abandoned under his watch.
He has, therefore, continued to solicit the cooperation of the people of the senatorial district in the monitoring of on-going projects in their communities, maintaining that residents should feel free to provide updates of work-in-progress at the projects’ sites to his constituency office on Sokponba Road, Benin City, further assuring of his regular on-the-spot assessment and inspection of all on-going projects.
By Monday Oviawe
With the recent reconstruction and complete asphalting of Awo Street from Second East Circular road to Ogbelaka Street, Benin City, as facilitated by the Senator representing the seven local government areas of Edo South senatorial district, Pharmacist Matthew Aisagbonriodion Urhoghide, the people of the district, especially landlords and residents of Awo Street, have continued to shower praises and accolades on the Senator for rising to the occasion to lift indigenes of the district out of infrastructural dilapidation.
So, penultimate week, when the final touches were being made on Awo Street, excited residents, who spoke with The Navigator, expressed delight, while thumbing up for Senator Urhoghide for bringing vibrant life and boisterous economic activities back to the street and environs, especially with the complete reconstruction and street-lighting of the neighbouring Isienmwenro street earlier this year. One of the elders of the street, a landlord, Pa James Agharese, explained that “for a long time we have painfully endured the bad nature of this road. Because of the difficulties in accessing the road, several persons, even those indigenous to this area, moved out and relocated to other sections of Benin. Then, it was really very depressing. But today, we have Senator Urhoghide to thank for coming to our rescue. The Good Lord and the benevolent spirits of the Benin kingdom would continue to bless and protect him. We really are grateful to him.”
With palpable joy written over her face, a business owner on the street, Mrs. Eunice Idahosa, danced and clapped in praise of Senator Urhoghide for facilitating the complete reconstruction of Awo Street. Said the business owner in pidgin, “Since work start here for this road, all of us dey jolly; na God go bless our Senator, Senator Urhoghide. He don prove say he bi man of his words. If he promise you, he go fulfill the promise. E don tay wey dem dey do this road; we happy say today dem don finish am. People wey get stores and shades for here, dem bi don dey comot, because business no dey like that; but today, we are happy.”
There is no under-estimating the importance of access roads and bridges in the development and growth of towns and communities. This is because apart from opening up the towns and communities for social intercourse with other communities, roads and bridges further expand and advance the economic potentials of towns and communities, providing avenues for easier transportation and evacuation of foodstuffs and other farm produce to bigger towns, cities and markets, thereby supporting and improving the financial stability of indigenes and residents of these communities.
However, over the years, especially in side streets in the city centre and rural communities of Edo South senatorial district, there had been a dearth of access roads inter-connecting major roads and connecting communities. And in several cases too, some communities had been cut off from the mainstream socio-economic lives of the state, especially by vehicular connections. This was because un-bridged rivers and streams had made vehicular access impossible. So, for these communities, they had been making do with makeshift wooden bridges, which collapsed intermittently and were often washed away when the rivers and streams overflowed their banks, causing extensive heartaches to inhabitants and dwellers.
To make all of this history, respite has seemingly come to these township side streets and communities since the outset of the Senator Matthew Aisagbonriodion Urhoghide’s representation of the people of Edo South Senatorial district at the Senate in Abuja. Since 2015, when he began expressing the popular mandate given him by the people of the district, and especially since the 2015 – 2016 budget of the federal government became operational, the road rehabilitation and reconstruction activities, which were influenced and facilitated into the budget by Senator Urhoghide, have started opening up the communities, bringing palpable succour to the people.
It is on record that in his first year in office, alone, Senator Urhoghide had over thirty-three (33) road rehabilitation and reconstruction projects at various stages of completion, across the seven local government areas of Edo South senatorial district, including the construction of six (6) 3 high concrete Water Flow Rings bridges connecting several, hitherto, river-partitioned communities.
For the avoidance of doubts, the bridges include 20feet by 40feet standard concrete bridge with galvanized rods and handrails at Ogiza Stream, Iyekogba, Oredo local government area; construction of same project at Ovbo Stream, Iyekogba; construction of 3 high concrete water flow rings bridge at Ozima stream, Iyekogba; construction of same project at Ugogogin Stream; construction of same project at Ovia Stream, Iyekogba and construction of same project at Dedemise Stream, Iyekogba, all in Oredo local government area.
In Oredo local government area, Senator Urhoghide has among several others, facilitated the construction and asphalting of a 2-lane road from Express road to the Multipurpose Hall at Ekae Community; complete rehabilitation of Etete Street from the Adesuwa Grammar School road to Enogie Street; construction of Enogie Street; complete rehabilitation of Isienmwenro street from Sokponba road to Second East Circular road; complete rehabilitation of Ofumwengbe Street; and construction of Idemudia Street, off Sapele Road.
In Ovia South-West local government area, Senator Urhoghide has facilitated the construction of Ugbogui-Benin-Lagos Road (Phase 1); construction of Udo-Ofunama-Ajakuroma road with link bridge across Ofunama creek to connect Ofunama and Ogbudu/Ogbiribiri communities (Phases 1 & 2; the projects are being handled by the NDDC. In Uhunmwode local government area, there is the construction of the Evbowe internal roads, Benin City, being handled by the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.
In all of these, Senator Urhoghide has continued to assure the people of the senatorial district of his determination to see to the proper completion of these projects to specifications, even as he insisted that none of the projects would be abandoned under his watch.
He has, therefore, continued to solicit the cooperation of the people of the senatorial district in the monitoring of on-going projects in their communities, maintaining that residents should feel free to provide updates of work-in-progress at the projects’ sites to his constituency office on Sokponba Road, Benin City, further assuring of his regular on-the-spot assessment and inspection of all on-going projects.
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