Governor Mr. Godwin Obaseki of Edo State called upon the state’s residents to take responsibility for safeguarding and preserving their environment, emphasizing the importance of securing a sustainable future.

During an 8.5km walk commemorating the 2023 World Habitat Day at the Government House, Governor Obaseki, alongside the state Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning, Isoken Omo, ministry staff, environmentalists, and schoolchildren, urged parents to plant trees for their children’s future celebrations. He pointed out that if one million children planted trees annually, the state would successfully nurture one million trees.

However, it is disheartening that the governor’s focus remains on tree planting despite the deplorable condition of the state’s roads. Presently, 12 out of the state’s 18 local government areas are entirely isolated from Benin City, the state capital. The people of Edo State are enduring unprecedented hardships while traveling between communities.

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Edo State serves as a vital transportation nexus, connecting various parts of the country. Over the past four years, key roads leading to and from the state have deteriorated significantly. These critical routes include Benin-Sapele Road, Benin-Agbor Road, Benin-Auchi Road, Benin-Lagos, Benin-Abraka Road, and Benin-Akure Road.

In the past, Edo State boasted some of Nigeria’s finest road networks. Regrettably, today, the majority of these roads, both federal and state, are in dire disrepair. Governor Obaseki has not undertaken any substantial efforts to address essential state roads, let alone volunteering to repair federal roads and seeking reimbursement from the federal government.

Even the crucial Benin-Auchi Road, which connects 12 of the state’s 18 local government areas, has received no attention from Governor Obaseki.

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Critics of Governor Obaseki challenge him to identify the strategic state roads he has either constructed or rehabilitated since taking office in 2016. So far, he has not responded to this challenge. While Obaseki attributes the neglect of federal roads in the state to the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government playing politics, it is worth noting that he was a member of the APC during his first term and still failed to garner federal government support for the state’s federal roads.

Many of his opponents question what lasting legacy he intends to leave behind in the state when his tenure concludes.