100 Days In Office: Residents Of Gully Erosion-devastated Areas Celebrate Okpebholo On Reclamation Projects

Residents of gully erosion devastated areas in Benin city and environs are celebrating the Edo state Governor, Monday Okpebholo for coming to their rescue within his first 100 days in office.

The most affected areas whose residents are now being rescued by the state government’s intervention include Upper Tenboga-Ekiuwa road in Ikpoba Okha and Agbonkhina street, off Ekenwan road in Egor Local Government area both in the state capital.

The people of the areas were before now sacked from their houses by the gully erosion that has been ravaging the areas for many years.

Gov Okpebholo during his campaign last year visited the areas and assured them that if elected governor of the state, he will reclaim the areas within his first 100 days in office.

In fulfiling his campaign promises, gov. Okpebholo within 24 hours of taking the oath of office, awarded the contracts for the reclamation of the two sites under the supervision of the state ministry of works.

Conducting some journalists round the project sites on Monday, officials of the ministry of works, including some of the supervising Engineers noted that the governor has done a great job for giving special attention to the areas, just as the residents of the areas, particularly the landlords commended the state government for the reclamation of the community from the effects of the gully erosion.

Mr. Edward Ugboyovbi, a landlord in Upper Tenboga-Ekiuwa road who spoke to newsmen on the state of the area before now said many of them relocated from the area as a result of the gully erosion which devastated the entire area.

He said the community has been deserted because of the perennial gully and its adverse effects on the lives of the inhabitants and their livelihoods.

Mr. Ugboyovbi also said landlords in the community have become tenants in other communities because of how badly the place has become due to the gully.

“I am very happy at the pace of work of reclamation going on here. For a very long time, we have not been able to access our houses but now, those who left before are coming back to their abandoned houses”, Ugboyovbi said.

At Agbokhina street, off Ekenwan road, Egor Local Government Area of the state, Mr. Scott Osayi, a resident of the community, expressed joy at the pace of work on the road.

He said the road has been impassable for many years before the immediate past governor came to commence work on it but couldn’t not complete the project but luckily for them, the present administration had continued with the project.

Osayi said with the progress of work on the road and when completed, it will boost the economy of the area noting that a good road network is a sinequanon to economic development of any given place.

For Mr. Osagie Aigbekaen who has resided in the community for 24 years, maintained that, they have always resorted to self-help but with the ongoing work on the road, life has bounced back in the community, and prayed to God to give the governor long life and good health to run the affairs of the state.