The Edo State Government has appealed to residents to be patient, saying construction engineers cannot fix roads effectively during the rainy season.

The government also attributed the widespread deterioration of roads across the state to substandard construction work carried out by the immediate past administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, stated this on Wednesday while addressing journalists during the ministry’s monthly media briefing.

He assured residents that the Governor Monday Okpebholo-led administration would embark on massive road repairs during the dry season.

The commissioner was joined at the press briefing by the Commissioner for Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Chris Okaeben; the Executive Secretary of the Edo State Drugs and Health Commodities Management Agency, Kenny Okojie; and the Special Adviser on Health Matters, Dr Andrew Iyamu.

The commissioner noted that any attempt to embark on road repairs at this time would amount to a waste of construction materials and public funds.

Afegbua accused the immediate past administration of poor road construction, which he said had led to the deterioration of road infrastructure across Edo State, adding that the Okpebholo-led administration was deliberate and determined to turn the situation around.

Afegbua urged Edo residents to be patient with the governor, saying he was determined to make the state’s roads motorable for users.

“Edo State Government, under the leadership of Senator Monday Okpebholo, is very much alive to its responsibility, ensuring it contends with developmental challenges confronting the state, both emerging and inherited.

“Of critical reference is the issue of roads. If we had an opportunity like the previous government to build credible, quality and durable roads, we will not be complaining or lamenting now.

“A lot of these roads within the Benin metropolis were actually rehabilitated and repaired during the immediate past government.”

Afegbua frowned at the criticism by supporters of former Governor Godwin Obaseki, noting that the decay being experienced now suggested that the immediate past administration did a poor job.

“The level of road decay experienced now is that the roads then were quantity, not quality jobs.

“We did an assessment of the GRA, Iyekogba Estate, Irihrih and Okoroma roads, and the roads were purported to have been done by the Obaseki-led administration.

“If you go there now, the roads are full of potholes and are decaying. One begins to wonder what the celebration was about. Roads were supposed to last a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 30 years.

“I am making records of these roads because we are being criticised on social media, and they wonder what we are doing.

“No construction engineer will attempt to fix potholes or bad roads during the rainy season. We are experiencing heavy rain now,” he concluded. (The PUNCH)